Ireland
Each country's health system is different and might not include all the things you would expect to get free of charge from the NHS. This means you may have to make a contribution to the cost of your care.
It is important that you ensure that you are treated by a state healthcare provider as you will not be covered for private healthcare. You should be particularly careful if the healthcare arrangements have been made by a hotel or travel representative.
The UK and Irish authorities have an agreement where UK residents do not need their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access healthcare services if they are on a temporary stay in Ireland. It is enough to show proof that you are ordinarily resident in the UK, such as a driving licence, passport or similar documentation that shows your NHS number or its equivalent.
Non-EEA nationals are covered in Ireland.
Public health services in Ireland are provided in hospitals and communities across the country.
For information about health services in Ireland, your entitlements and how to access health or social services, contact the HSE infoline on tel:1850 24 1850 1850 24 1850 in Ireland or tel:+353 41 685 0300 +353 41 685 0300 from abroad, visit www.hse.ie, or email [email protected]
Find help in emergencies
If you find yourself in a serious life-threatening emergency, you should call 999 or 112. Use these numbers for fire, ambulance, police and the coastguard. Regardless of which number you call in Ireland, there will be no difference and the call will be handled in the same manner. The call is free of charge to the caller.
Health services and costs
Make sure you are treated by a state-funded healthcare provider. You should be particularly careful if healthcare arrangements are made by a hotel or travel representative. Any costs incurred for private healthcare are not refunded.
Use the HSE service finder to find GPs (including out-of-hours GPs), hospitals, dentists, pharmacies and other health services near you. If you have a smartphone, you can also download the free EHIC appproduced by the EU, which has information about how to contact health services in the country you are visiting.
Doctors
You can contact any GP who is contracted to the Primary Care Reimbursement Services (PCRS) scheme. More than 2,000 doctors, representing the majority of GPs in Ireland, are contracted to the scheme. Treatment is provided free of charge by PCRS doctors to those who are eligible under EU regulations.
You can get details of PCRS doctors in your area from the Local Health Office. If you are not sure whether the GP is a PCRS doctor, tell them that you are seeking treatment under EU regulations.
GPs operate specified hours for surgery visits and these vary from practice to practice. Telephone the GP surgery in your area for their opening hours. Out-of-hours cover is provided at other times – a telephone number for this service is usually provided on the GP's telephone answering service.
Seeing a specialist
Your GP will refer you to a specialist if they think this is necessary. Make sure to tell the GP that you want to be treated as a public patient. Many consultants in Ireland see patients both publicly and privately. If you see the consultant as a private patient, you will not be covered by EU regulations. Treatment by consultants is provided free of charge in the public system to those who are eligible.
Dentists
Emergency dental treatment is available from dentists contracted to the Local Health Office. If you need to see a dentist, contact the Local Health Office or health centre in your area to get details of contracted dentists or Local Health Office clinics.
In emergencies, check that the dentist you choose is contracted to the Local Health Office to provide services under the PCRS system. Make sure to tell them that you are seeking treatment under EU regulations.
Other services
Certain ear or eye services are available free of charge to those eligible under EU regulations. In line with the arrangements for Irish residents, you should contact the Local Health Office in your area in the first instance to access such services.
Prescriptions
Prescription medicines must be obtained from a GP contracted to the PCRS scheme, who will use a special prescription form to indicate to the pharmacist that the medicine is to be provided free of charge. A prescription charge must be paid for each item of medicine. The current charge is €2.50 per item up to a maximum of €25.00 per month per family.
Hospital treatment
In an emergency, you can go directly to the Accident and Emergency unit of any public hospital. There is no charge for those eligible under EU regulations.
For scheduled inpatient or outpatient treatment in the public system, you will need to be referred by a GP or specialist consultant contracted to the PCRS scheme. Remember to ask to be referred as a public patient.
Inpatient and outpatient treatment in the public system is provided free of charge to those who are eligible under EU regulations. Treatment or accommodation as a private or semi-private patient is not covered by these regulations.
@AnSolas apologies, the link I posted was to a specific section but it went wrong. The above is copied and pasted (if you want to see original click on link to nhs wales in my last post and search ‘travel health’)
The OP, or any ordinarily UK resident, does not need to do anything - GP surgeries and hospitals know what to do. The only thing it is wise to do is check that the GP is contracted to the PCRS scheme before going ahead with an appointment- the majority are but I doubt that the private walk-in clinics are - as i said they don’t treat medical card holders free so I should think they are not contracted.
So, in answer to your question- yes, there is a contract in place to cover this. Or at least a recipricol agreement. Seriously, GPs and hospitals know this stuff - it’s not news to them.