Schedule a free call
Free · no commitment · no documents · by video or phone, at a time you pick
Knee replacement in Spain for Irish public patients
Covered by the HSE under the Cross Border Directive.
Waiting for a new knee often means pain on the stairs, stiffness after sitting and shorter walks, month after month.
A new knee without the public wait: a fixed price in a private hospital in Spain, paid back by the HSE. The hospital, the surgeon, the price and your stay are in writing before you decide.
Free · no commitment · no documents · by video or phone, at a time you pick
Your right under EU law since 2011
2,266claims paid back to Irish patients in 2024
Your rights under the schemeAt the end of September 2026, 14,988 adults were waiting for orthopaedic surgery in a public hospital in Ireland. Of those, 1,885 had waited longer than a year.
National Treatment Purchase Fund, inpatient and day-case waiting list by specialty, September 2026
Your knee replacement in Spain, step by step.
Eight steps from the first conversation to your refund. You commit at step 4, not before.
Before you commit
Stop at any time, at no cost
Talk to us
You
Schedule a free call, by video or phone, at a time you pick. We answer your questions and tell you how the route works for a knee replacement.
Fill in the Consent Form
You · about 15 minutes
Your details and documents, uploaded securely. You need a referral for a knee replacement from your GP or from a consultant you saw as a public patient, or a letter showing you are on the public waiting list for it.
We determine your eligibility
Ablement · within 1 to 2 working days
You get a clear yes or no on whether you are eligible for a knee replacement in Spain.
We find a private hospital
Ablement · within 5 working days of a complete file
We ask the hospitals and send you one written proposal: the hospital, the surgeon, the price of your knee replacement, the dates and your expected refund.
After you commit
We stay with you to the refund
Your date is confirmed
The hospital
The hospital confirms your date in writing within 10 working days of your acceptance, and then you book your travel. Plan to be away for your nights in hospital and a few more days nearby; the hospital's written plan says how many.
Your treatment abroad
The hospital
You meet your surgeon in person before you are admitted (for a knee replacement the HSE does not accept a video call), have your operation, and fly home when the surgeon says you are fit to fly. You pay the hospital directly and send us the documents for your claim.
We claim your refund
Ablement · within 5 working days of your return
We send your signed claim to the HSE and follow it until you are paid. The HSE paid in 45 days on average in 2024.
Your aftercare at home
Your GP
Your GP and the public system take over, as if you had the operation at home. Your GP can refer you for physiotherapy in the public system; ask before you travel, as there can be a wait.
One contact person, from the first conversation to the refund.
Easy to reach at every step. A family member can join every call.
What a knee replacement costs you
Our service
Nothing. The hospital that treats you pays us a referral fee.
The hospital
One fixed price for your knee replacement, in writing before you commit. You pay the hospital directly, before the HSE pays you back.
The HSE
Pays you back up to what a knee replacement costs in the Irish public system, at the inpatient rate, in 45 days on average (2024).
The detail for a knee replacement
The HSE pays back the cost of a knee replacement up to what that operation costs in the Irish public system; if the hospital's invoice is lower, it pays the invoice. In Ireland a knee replacement involves several nights in hospital, so the inpatient rate applies. You receive the refund yourself, after the treatment, into your own account, and it does not include travel, your accommodation or anyone travelling with you. The price is fixed in writing before you say yes, and if no hospital can offer one within the refund, we set out the gap in writing and you decide whether to go ahead.
What is paid back, and when
Find out in one free call if a knee replacement in Spain can work for you
Kaare Beck-Fischer, Chief Executive Officer
No commitment and no documents needed.
- Write to us: Send us a message →
- Want an answer now? Use the chat.
What a knee replacement involves
A knee replacement is for a knee worn down by arthritis, when the pain, stiffness and swelling no longer respond to other treatment. Under a general or a spinal anaesthetic, the surgeon removes the damaged surfaces at the ends of the thigh bone and the shin bone and caps them with smooth metal parts, with a plastic insert between them that lets the joint glide. If only one side of the knee is worn, a partial replacement may be possible; the surgeon decides which suits you.
You are up and walking with support soon after the operation, and physiotherapy is the most important part of the recovery: the exercises decide how well the knee bends and straightens. The aim is a knee that no longer hurts, for walking, stairs and sleep. It takes months to recover fully, and kneeling often stays uncomfortable even when the knee is otherwise working well.
Questions about a knee replacement
Short answers to what people ask us most. Open a question to read the answer.
All frequently asked questionsYour question isn't here?
Ask us in the chat Or send us a message from the Contact pageWill I need physiotherapy?
Yes, usually. Physiotherapy normally starts in the hospital and carries on for weeks at home, and the hospital gives you an exercise plan to take with you. Your GP can refer you to public physiotherapy in Ireland; raise it before you leave, as there can be a wait.
When can I fly home after a knee replacement?
When the surgeon says you are fit to fly. Your surgeon makes that call, and the hospital's usual timing is in the written proposal. Choose flights that can be changed, and ask the airline for help at the airport if walking is hard; it is free and must be booked in advance.
When can I drive or go back to work?
That depends on your recovery and on the kind of work you do, so the surgeon decides, and your GP follows it up at home. Ask the surgeon before you are discharged. The answer can go into your discharge report, so that your GP sees it too.
Will I lose my place on the Irish waiting list?
No. The HSE's rules do not ask you to leave the list to use the scheme, and you stay on it until you have been treated. Once your operation is done abroad, you let the Irish hospital know, so it can take you off the list. If you change your mind before then, nothing has changed at home.
Do I have to pay up front?
Yes. You pay the hospital directly, and the HSE pays you back afterwards, in 45 days on average in 2024. Some people use savings, help from their family or a credit union loan. We do not lend money or arrange loans, and no money of yours passes through us.
Is it safe, and what if something goes wrong?
You see the hospital and the surgeon's name in writing before you decide anything, and you meet the surgeon in person before you are admitted. Every hospital we work with must be registered with its country's health authorities, use surgeons who specialise in the operation, give its price and its terms on complications in writing, and give you an English-speaking contact person. The hospital that treats you is responsible for your care, and it must have a complaints procedure. We help you deal with the hospital, and at home your GP takes over as after any operation.
Why is your help free? What's the catch?
There is no catch. The hospital that treats you pays us a referral fee; you never pay us anything, and the hospital's price is fixed in writing before you accept. You can stop at any time before you sign with the hospital.
Will the HSE really pay me back?
The Cross Border Directive is EU law, and the HSE paid 2,266 claims from Irish patients in 2024 alone. The refund is yours when the paperwork is right: the referral, the consultation, the itemised invoice and your receipt. We prepare the claim with you, and before you travel you can send the HSE a prior notification, which tells you in advance whether you are eligible and gives an indication of the amount.
Can a family member come with me, or join the calls?
Yes. A family member can join every call and meeting, be named on your Consent Form and travel with you. Their travel and hotel are your own cost.
Find out if this route can work for you
One free call, by video or phone. No commitment and no documents.
by video or phone, at a time you pick
Already spoken with us? Start your case →