Up to 1,500 routine surgeries on Irish patients are set to be carried out at a new Spanish hospital.
The Alicante based hospital is a part of a new healthcare agreement, where patients will be treated under the EU Cross Border Directive, meaning the HSE cover the price of treatment up to the cost it would be in Ireland.
Patients will have to pay for the service but will be reimbursed by the HSE.
The hospital is expected to perform a large number of hip replacements, knee operations, cataract procedures, weight-loss surgeries and other treatments.
Travel costs will not be covered by health executive.
The agreement has been made between the Hospital Clinical Benidorm Hospitales group (HBC) and Healthcare Abroad, an Irish logistics company which will assist patients travelling there for treatment.
