A Newbridge man got surgery on his hip within weeks by travelling to Northern Ireland.
Tom O'Riordan (68) could have been on a waiting-list for his local hospital for up to a year if he didn't avail of the little-known EU cross-border treatment scheme.
Golf fanatic Tom had to give up playing Newbridge Golf Course due to the pain in his hip.
However surgery was arranged within weeks and took place during a two-night stay at Kingsbridge Hospital in Belfast in June.
Under the scheme the patient pays the fee upfront, but the HSE refunds the cost so the patient is not out of pocket.
"I have a very good family and was able to find the €10,000," Tom told independent.ie.
Tom said that within around five weeks he was up and mobile, enjoying the freedom his new hip brought him.
The Cross Border Directive (CBD) allows for patients ordinarily resident in Ireland who require and are entitled to public healthcare services to be referred to another EU/EEA member state for that care and be reimbursed in accordance with the legislation.
It will be a matter for the patient and his/her referring doctor to identify the clinician abroad and satisfy him/herself in relation to the qualifications, quality and safety of the services being availed of in the other jurisdiction.
Funding will only be reimbursed for healthcare that is publicly funded and available in Ireland and which is not contrary to Irish legislation.
Tom added: "The advice from the doctors was to start with pitch and putt rather than going straight back to golf.
"But I am looking forward to doing some rounds on the course with my friends."
He said the convenience of being able to go to Northern Ireland for the surgery rather than abroad made all the difference.
"It would be a shame if people had to go to mainland Europe.
"You are into problems with language and it would make it more difficult."
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