Should NHS pay for treatment abroad?

[chance]

Should the NHS pay for UK patients' to have medical treatment abroad?

NHS patients should be reimbursed for medical treatment in the EU if they face an "undue delay" for surgery in the UK, a court has ruled.

The European Court of Justice made the decision in the case of Yvonne Watts who had paid for a hip operation in France but said that UK courts must decide if she is to have a refund.

Do you agree with the ruling? Have you been abroad to seek medical treatment? Would you consider it?

[Siobhan]

Not sure if it is true but i remember hearing/reading somewhere that in Ireland, if there is a high waiting list or if the operation is not available in the country, the irish health board will pay for the treatment aboard to medical card holders.

I think that they should pay.. If you are in really bad pain and you are told you have to wait years to have anything done then they should pay if you can find a shorter waiting list...

[Luna]

i think they should - my mum has been waiting for an operation for just over a year now - about a month ago she got a letter to say her op was due to be preformed on the 22nd may but she would have to attend a pre assesment two weeks before. She went for this last week only to be told that she had been booked in by mistake and her op will not go ahead on this date - she will have to go back onto the waiting list and probably wait another year. Because of this mum is so stressed and now we're having to go private - but really why should we??? we pay our national health...

[JustJodi]

I only voted Yes, because of the LONG waiting lists for certain operations and treatments .. if you can get it done quicker else where then by all means NHS should pay,, I am also thinking after they pay out a certain amount of money , they may turn around and improve on the waiting time, its sad when some one has to go private in order to have their health problems taken care of quicker,, same things goes over here in Holland :-(

[dddMac1]

i don't know cause the NHS is in alot of trouble with funding

[Luna]

only because they waste it - some of the things they employ people for are unbelievable!!