Up to 1,500 routine surgeries on Irish patients are set to be carried out at a new Spanish hospital.
The new €60 million Hospital HCB Dénia in Costa Blanca, Alicante will offer an alternative pathway for thousands of Irish patients currently waiting for routine healthcare treatments in Ireland.
Under the EU Cross Border Directive, patients can be referred for treatments at the 62 bed facility in Alicante, which opens on Thursday.
Patients will have to pay for the service but will be reimbursed by the HSE.
Travel costs will not be covered by health executive.
Almost every treatment that is currently available on the Irish public system are provided at the new hospital.
It is expected, once fully operational, that the new hospital will perform approximately 1,500 routine surgeries for Irish patients. These procedures will range from hip, knee, and shoulder operations to gynaecological and weight-loss procedures.
Irish patients can receive care at the hospital through a strategic partnership between Healthcare Abroad and HCB Hospitales.
