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Before you have your healthcare in Northern Ireland:
- make sure you are eligible for the NIPHS
- consider applying for prior notification
- check what medical records to bring with you
- make sure you can pay the hospital in Northern Ireland directly
Check that you have followed the correct process to access healthcare under the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme (NIPHS). If you do not follow the correct process, you may have to pay the full costs of your healthcare.
Getting prior notification for your healthcare
If you plan to travel to Northern Ireland for inpatient or day case treatment under the NIPHS scheme, you can apply for ‘prior notification’.
Prior notification is optional, but it will:
- confirm if you are eligible to apply for healthcare costs before you travel to Northern Ireland for your treatment
- give you an indication of how much you might receive - the actual amount can only be confirmed when you have had your treatment
We usually take about 20 working days to decide on your application.
You must pay upfront for any healthcare that you get with a private provider in Northern Ireland, but if you apply for prior notification, you’ll know around how much you can claim towards the cost and if there is a difference that you must pay.
Your treatment plan may change after you apply for prior notification. If this happens, you can only claim repayment for the healthcare you receive.
What you can claim under the NIPHS
Applying for prior notification
To apply for prior notification you must send:
- a valid referral
- a completed prior notification form
Download the prior notification form (PDF, 872 KB, 19 pages)
You must also provide proof that you had an outpatient consultation.
To do this, provide at least one of these:
- proof of payment for the outpatient consultation
- a copy of the medical notes or clinical letter from the outpatient consultation
- a copy of a letter confirming you are on a public inpatient or day case waiting list in Ireland for the healthcare listed in this application
Send the form and the supporting documents to:
Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme,
HSE,
St Canice’s Hospital,
Kilkenny,
Co. Kilkenny
Contact the NIPHS about prior notification
Completing the notification form
You and your consultant in Northern Ireland must complete and sign the form before you have your inpatient/ day case treatment.
The consultant must enter the correct DRG (Diagnosis-Related Group) code for the proposed treatment.
You can download a list of current costs and DRG codes for inpatient and day case healthcare in Ireland.