Independent guide. Not affiliated with HSE or the NHS. For clinics About Gaeilge 01 234 5678

New: August waiting list figures are in — hip and knee waits by hospital. See the update

Orthopaedic Check your options

Treated sooner,
not years from now

Waiting times, real prices and private options for hip, knee, shoulder and spine surgery across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Check your options See waiting times
  • Free, no obligation
  • Consultant-led clinics only
  • Reply in one working day

Where’s the problem?

Tap an area for waiting times, costs and consultants near you.

Hip Knee Shoulder Back & neck Hand & wrist Foot & ankle Sports injury Something else

Not sure? Tell us what’s going on and we’ll point you the right way.

How long is the wait?

Typical time from GP referral to surgery.

15months

Public waiting list
Ireland

40months

Public waiting list
Northern Ireland

4–8weeks

Private pathway
insurance, self-pay or cross-border

See waits by hospital

Reviewed August 2026. Indicative medians from NTPF monthly data and NI Department of Health statistics. Private timelines are typical availability reported by partner clinics. Your own wait depends on your hospital, consultant and clinical priority.

A straight answer, in one working day

  • Tell us what’s wrongTwo minutes. The area affected and your county. No medical records needed at this stage.
  • We come back with optionsConsultants near you taking new patients, their next available date, and what each route costs.
  • You book directly with the clinicOr you don’t. Plenty of people use this and decide to stay on the public list — nobody chases you.
Check your options
Patient discussing treatment options with a consultant

Four ways to be treated sooner

Most people know about two. Two of these are commonly missed.

1

Health insurance

VHI, Laya, Irish Life Health and UK insurers cover most orthopaedic surgery.

Cost to you: usually the excess

How cover works 2

Self-pay

A fixed package price agreed in writing before admission. Finance available.

Typical wait: 4–8 weeks

See prices 3

NI Planned Healthcare

Treated privately in Northern Ireland, then reimbursed by the HSE.

You pay first, then reclaim

Check eligibility 4

EU Cross-Border

Surgery elsewhere in the EU, refunded up to the Irish public cost.

Apply before you travel

How it works

Guides for every joint

What the operation involves, real recovery times, and what it costs here — written for Irish practice.

Hip replacement surgery

Hip

Replacement · Resurfacing · Impingement

Explore
Knee replacement and ligament surgery

Knee

Replacement · ACL · Meniscus · Arthroscopy

Explore
Shoulder and elbow surgery

Shoulder & elbow

Rotator cuff · Replacement · Tennis elbow

Explore
Spinal surgery for back and neck pain

Back & neck

Discectomy · Fusion · Decompression

Explore
Hand and wrist surgery

Hand & wrist

Carpal tunnel · Trigger finger · Dupuytren’s

Explore
Foot and ankle surgery

Foot & ankle

Bunions · Ankle fusion · Achilles

Explore
Sports injury surgery and rehabilitation

Sports injuries

Arthroscopy · Ligaments · Return to sport

Explore
Children's orthopaedic care

Children

Scoliosis · Hip dysplasia · Fractures

Explore

What it costs privately

All-in package prices. Surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre, implant and stay included.

Hip replacement€14,000–19,5002–4 nights · desk work in 6 weeks Knee replacement€15,000–21,0002–4 nights · desk work in 6–8 weeks ACL reconstruction€7,500–11,000Day case · desk work in 2–3 weeks Carpal tunnel release€1,800–3,000Day case · desk work in 1–2 weeks
Procedure Ireland Northern Ireland Stay
Total hip replacement€14,000 – €19,500£11,500 – £15,0002–4 nights
Total knee replacement€15,000 – €21,000£12,000 – £16,0002–4 nights
Knee arthroscopy€3,500 – €5,500£2,800 – £4,200Day case
ACL reconstruction€7,500 – €11,000£6,000 – £9,000Day case
Rotator cuff repair€8,000 – €12,000£6,500 – £9,500Day case – 1 night
Lumbar discectomy€11,000 – €16,000£9,000 – £13,0001–2 nights
Carpal tunnel release€1,800 – €3,000£1,400 – £2,400Day case
Bunion correction€4,500 – €7,000£3,500 – £5,500Day case

Indicative ranges, reviewed quarterly — not quotations. You can also claim 20% tax relief on private medical costs through a Med 1 return.

Find a surgeon near you

Private clinics, consultant lists and hospital profiles for every county on the island.

Leinster

DublinKildareWicklowMeathLouthWexfordKilkennyCarlowLaoisOffalyWestmeathLongford

Munster

CorkLimerickKerryTipperaryWaterfordClare

Connacht & Ulster

GalwayMayoSligoRoscommonLeitrimDonegalCavanMonaghan

Northern Ireland

BelfastDerry / LondonderryAntrimArmaghDownFermanaghTyrone

Take the first step

Two minutes now, an answer within one working day.

  • It costs you nothingWe’re paid by clinics, never by patients.
  • One reply, not ten callsMatched clinics only. We don’t sell your details on.
  • No commitmentPlenty of people use this and stay on the public list.

Not a medical consultation. If your pain is severe or follows an injury, contact your GP or the emergency department.

Common questions

Do I lose my place on the public list if I go privately?
No. You stay on the list while you consider your options. If you do go ahead privately, tell the public hospital so the slot goes to someone else.
Can I go privately without health insurance?
Yes. Private hospitals quote fixed self-pay prices and most offer finance. Many day-case procedures come to a few thousand euro, not tens of thousands.
Do you charge me anything?
No. Clinics pay us when we pass on an enquiry. That’s how the site is funded, and we say it up front rather than burying it.
Will I be phoned by lots of companies?
No. Your details go only to the clinics we match you with. We don’t sell data or add you to marketing lists.
Are the surgeons properly registered?
Every consultant we list is on the Irish Medical Council Specialist Division or the UK GMC Specialist Register. Both are public — check for yourself.
Where do the waiting figures come from?
NTPF monthly data for Ireland and NI Department of Health statistics. Private timelines come from partner clinics. Reviewed monthly and date-stamped.

Sources

¹ National Treatment Purchase Fund, Inpatient/Day Case Waiting List, monthly series. Figures shown are indicative medians for trauma and orthopaedic surgery and are reviewed each month.

² Northern Ireland Department of Health, Hospital Inpatient and Day Case Waiting Times, quarterly series.

³ Private timelines and package prices are reported by partner clinics and hospitals and are reviewed quarterly. They are indicative and are not quotations.

Call us Get my options