I am waiting for a knee operation which is really getting me down. I am more than willing to go to France to have the operation done if the NHS are going to pay as I can’t afford it myself. Should I go ahead and book it?
Any patient seeking treatment abroad must pay for the treatment and then claim a refund from the NHS. This means patients facing an "undue delay" for treatment on the NHS have a right to seek treatment abroad and ask their local primary care trust (PCT) to refund the money.
Previously, the Department of Health has argued that anyone being offered treatment within its own waiting time target is not facing an unacceptable delay and therefore are not entitled to a refund. This has now changed.
The recent European Court of Justice ruling means that now the patient’s degree of pain, medical history, condition and prognosis must be considered. Therefore each patient must be assessed individually as to their clinical need.
You must be aware of the following 3 conditions which apply to your refund. First you must pay the cost and then reclaim from the PCT; second, you can only claim back the cost of the operation or procedure on the NHS; third, the extra costs of travel and subsistence will not be paid by the PCT unless you are entitled to them here.
Also, if the cost of the operation in the specific EU country is cheaper, you will be reimbursed for that lower cost rather than the full NHS cost.
If you are considering going abroad, it would be wise to ask the PCT to agree to fund the operation and treatment before incurring the cost to ensure they will pay.
