HSE plastic surgery spend purely for clinical need

The Irish Examiner recently published an article stating that the HSE spent more than €2.5m on cosmetic procedures such as face lifts, nose jobs and eyelid/lip excisions since 2009.

The HSE wishes to make it clear that the figure of approximately €2.5m relates to the cost of procedures that are funded both by the HSE and also by individuals who pay for the procedures themselves through private health insurance or other means. Therefore the taxpayer is funding only a portion of that sum.

While the article inferred that these procedures were undertaken for cosmetic reasons, in order to “remove wrinkles” and “worry lines”, the HSE wants to assure the taxpayer that any money it spends on such procedures relates to “plastic” surgery.