HSE refunds cost of hip surgery after complaint

A 74-year-old woman complained to the Ombudsman when the HSE did not refund the full cost of her hip operation.

The woman had waited over two years on the public waiting list for the operation and had decided to travel to Northern Ireland for treatment under the cross border healthcare scheme.

She had paid the full cost of the operation in advance — €12,500, borrowed from a relative — and then sought to reclaim the money from the HSE.