A new private hospital in the Spanish coastal city of Valencia is expected to treat 1,000 Irish people per year fed up of languishing on waiting lists at home.
The Vithas Valencia Turia Hospital, which opened this week, has dedicated capacity for treating public patients from Ireland awaiting orthopaedic surgeries such as hip and knee replacements.
The new hospital is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility with 95 beds, including 64 private rooms, 8 operating theatres, and seven intensive care units and will deliver a wide range of planned orthopaedic surgeries, and is expected to treat up to 1,000 Irish patients annually.
However, at present the scheme will not be available to those residing in the north as they do not fall under the EU directive which administers it.
The agreement is the latest treatment option for Irish patients under the EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive, through a partnership between Irish private health group Healthcare Abroad and the Vithas Hospital Group.
Under the EU Cross Border Directive, Irish patients can access treatment in hospitals in another EU country with procedure costs reimbursed by the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE).
It comes as new research, commissioned by Healthcare Abroad, revealed that 1 in 5 Irish patients (20%) have missed out on important life events, due to delays in accessing planned surgical care including knee and hip replacements among others.
The research added almost 1 in 3 (30%) said they’ve considered going abroad for treatment.
Speaking at the opening of the Valencia Turia Hospital, Paul Byrne, Chief Operations Officer at Healthcare Abroad said, “This is about offering Irish patients timely access to high-quality care in a trusted and supported way.
“We understand how much of an impact delays can have, not just on physical health, but on people’s lives. This new hospital gives patients a real alternative without stepping outside of the Irish public system.”
The opening of the new hospital in Spain aimed at attracting Irish patients comes as Stormont’s Department of Health last week announced a new £10million reimbursement scheme for those on waiting lists seeking treatments abroad.
An initial £10m will be invested in the scheme, allowing people to claim back costs when they receive treatments outside the north, subject to qualifying criteria.
Beginning in June 2025, it will apply to procedures obtained in the Republic of Ireland and will subsequently be extended to the rest of the European Union.
The Reimbursement Scheme will be available to patients waiting two years or more on a hospital treatment waiting list in the north.