NHS S2 funding route

Hi All,

Referred for a hip replacement, the consultant told me that the waiting list is 18-24 months. So I’m researching the Planned Treatment S2 funding route. This is an agreement with EU and EEA countries under which you can be refunded for treatment (but not for travel, accommodation, etc) abroad, provided the treatment is available to citizens of that country under their state system.

My question is whether anyone has tried to use this and, if so, where and for what treatment? How did it work out?

Hoping to find that this does work…and, maybe, with shorter waiting times than in the UK at present.

yours - Paul

Comments

  • noddingtonpete
    noddingtonpete Moderator Posts: 1,224

    Hello @Paolo and welcome to the Online Community. An interesting idea and I am sure others will be interested in your success if it happens.

    There was another discussion on this

    but no comment as to whether that was successful. You will have to let us know how you get on.

    Good luck and best wishes

    Peter

    Need more help? - call our Helpline on0800 5200 520Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

  • Paolo
    Paolo Member Posts: 2

    I’ve now heard back via FOI from NHS England some interesting statistics. Here they are:-

    How many applications for the S2 route have been made?

    Year

    No. of S2's received

    2019

    273

    2020

    282

    2021

    301

    2022

    445

    2023

    547

    How many applications have been approved?

    Year

    No. of S2's approved

    2019

    62

    2020

    96

    2021

    75

    2022

    93

    2023

    151

    In which countries has the approved treatment been planned and for which treatments (summary categories would suffice for different treatments)?

    Top 10 countries

    Top 10 categories

    Poland 

    Trauma & Orthopaedics (e.g. Knee, Hip, Osteoarthritis)

    Lithuania 

    General Surgery (Obesity, Hernia’s, Appendicitis)

    France 

    Gynaecology (Endometriosis, Fibroids, Polyps)

    Italy 

    ENT (Nose, Tonsilitis, Ear infections)

    Germany 

    Medical Oncology (Chemotherapy)

    Hungary 

    Paediatric ENT

    Czech Republic 

    Dental (Extraction)

    Belgium 

    Primary Care GP (UTIs, Ear infections, Cystitis)

    Romania 

    Neurosurgery (Spinal, Discs, Brain)

    Bulgaria 

    Vascular (varicose veins, DVT)

  • olivia_b
    olivia_b Moderator Posts: 65

    Hello, @Paolo some very interesting statistics there, thank you for sharing.

  • Nurina
    Nurina Member Posts: 437
    edited 5. Jun 2024, 08:00

    I'm very interested in this post. I live in Wales and I'll have my hip replaced in 2 years in the "urgent" list. Do you know if it's possible to choose the country? Thanks for sharing

  • shacklock25
    shacklock25 Member Posts: 31

    I am sorry to hear this. I have stage 4 arthritis in my left hip and can hardly walk. I saw my GP in January as I had been limping for two years and now needed a stick to walk. He sent me for an x-ray and I saw a physio four weeks later just for one session. She said the hip showed moderate arthritis, which was wrong. It was bone on bone. I then had to wait eight weeks to see the main physio. After one session I was made much worse so asked to be referred to an advanced practitioner. I saw him two weeks later. He said it was stage 4 and asked me if I wanted a hip replacement. I said yes, so he referred me to the orthopaedic department. He said would I be prepared to go to the nearby private hospital which now sees many NHS patients. I said yes, and within three weeks I saw a consultant there. That was two days ago. He has put me down for the operation in six weeks time as my condition is bad. So altogether the process will have been six months which is not too bad. You definitely should not have to wait two years. I live in England. Could you perhaps get treated in an English hospital?

  • Nurina
    Nurina Member Posts: 437

    England has a waiting list of 36 weeks. Wales, Scotland and N Ireland are struggling with waiting lists of at least 104 weeks. I know that English hospitals are taking patients from other places. If anybody here can explain how to be referred to an English hospital, I'd appreciate it. Thanks

  • alwayssewing
    alwayssewing Member Posts: 85

    It may depend on how your area works.

    I was contacted by the appointment booking department and I was told I had a choice of hospitals but the length of their waiting lists varied. At first she said Wigan hospital but that's at least an hour's drive .

    Then she listed a private hospital 20 minutes away so I opted for that. I have previously taken other people there so I knew it well.

    Everything happened fairly fast after that although there was a holdup of an extra 3 weeks because the GP didn't send my ex-rays to the consultant so he could decide how to proceed . All sorted when I called the practice secretary.