Thousands of NHS patients who travel abroad for surgery could have the costs of their treatment reimbursed by the government following a ruling today from the European court of justice.
The court found that a 74-year-old grandmother, Yvonne Watts, should have been reimbursed for the cost of surgery in France to treat hip arthritis that had left her in constant pain.

On her first British hospital visit, in October 2002, Ms Watts's case was judged "routine" and she was put on a one-year waiting list for surgery, despite a consultant finding that her mobility was severely hampered by her condition.