The Irish Times - Monday, March 4, 2013
PAUL CULLEN
HSE twice refused to finance specialist care available in UK but not in Ireland
Yvonne Brennans seizures come without warning, last just minutes, and have life-long consequences. Two years ago, she collapsed in a car park, shattering her front teeth. Disaster was narrowly averted on another occasion when she fell to the ground in front of onrushing traffic.
For Yvonne and a minority of other people with epilepsy, intensive brain monitoring followed by surgery may be the only feasible way of managing the severity of their condition. The monitoring is not available in Ireland, yet the HSE has twice refused her application to go to the UK under the treatment abroad scheme. It allows patients to be referred to other EU states for treatment that is not available here.
The first time she was refused, it was claimed the treatment she sought was available in Ireland. This is clearly not the case, a fact confirmed by her specialist Dr Colin Doherty, consultant neurologist at St Jamess Hospital and the HSE clinical lead in epilepsy.
She says the second time she was told to apply to her private health insurer for the cost of the treatment, even though funding is not a criterion in the scheme. This would cover less than 2,000 of a treatment costing over 50,000.
Violent seizures
Forced to stay at home because of the life-threatening consequences of another violent seizure, the 27-year-old part-time hairdresser from Rathfarnham is now penning a third application to the HSE for the treatment she desperately requires.
I have lost all my front teeth, Ive had to have plastic surgery twice and I still have major scarring that cannot be fixed. Ive had seizures almost everywhere possible. I cannot go out alone as Ive had near misses with traffic. I cannot do the simple things like having a bath, locking the toilet door or driving.
Read more from the original source:
HSE refuses to fund treatment abroad for life-threatening epileptic condition