HSE spends €7m on healthcare outside of State in first six months of this year

The HSE is reimbursing patients who travel to other EU countries or to the North for procedures such as cataract operations and hip replacement. Stock picture

The HSE spent around €7m in the first six months of 2022 reimbursing patients who received healthcare outside of the State.

Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that the HSE spent €4.9m on the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme (NIPHS) in the first half of this year, along with just over €2m on the EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive in the same period.