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Public route · HSE

Bariatric surgery on the HSE

How the public route works, how many operations the HSE does, how long people wait, and what you can do in the meantime.

The short answer

Public weight loss surgery starts with your GP, who can refer you to an HSE specialist obesity service in a public hospital. The team assesses you and decides whether surgery is right. There's no hospital charge as a public patient, but the service is small: the HSE did 208 bariatric operations in 2024, and its national clinical lead for obesity has said waiting lists can be up to five years long.

  • 208HSE bariatric operations in 2024
  • Up to 5 yearswaiting, per the HSE's clinical lead
  • €0hospital charge as a public patient
  • GPwhere the route starts

Free check · about a minute

Am I eligible?

See where your BMI sits against the usual criteria, what it costs in Ireland and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do. A surgeon always makes the final call.

Your height and weight never leave your device. If you ask a clinic to contact you, we send only a BMI band and your answers, with your consent.

Step 1 of 7

Your height and weight

We work out your BMI here on the page. Nothing is sent.

cm
kg
Your BMI–

Enter your height and weight.

Do you have any of these?

Tick all that apply. These are the conditions surgeons look for at a BMI of 35 to 40.

What have you tried before?

Tick all that apply. A clinic asks this at the first consultation.

Which option are you looking at?

Pick the closest. You can change your mind at the consultation.

How would you like to go about it?

Your result explains the cost and the wait for each route.

When, and where are you?

The clinic uses your county to plan consultations and check-ups near you.

Your result
Where should the clinic contact you?

One Irish clinic gets your enquiry, nobody else. They contact you to arrange a consultation with a surgeon. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Thank you

Your enquiry is on its way to one Irish clinic. Here's what happens next:

  1. Today. We pass your answers to one clinic whose bariatric surgeons are on the Medical Council's Specialist Register. No one else gets them.
  2. Usually within two working days. The clinic rings or texts you to arrange a first consultation.
  3. At the consultation. A surgeon and the team assess you, explain your options and give you a written quote. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Changed your mind? Email hello@gastricsleeve.ie and we'll delete your enquiry and tell the clinic.

The route, step by step

  • 1. Your GPYour GP checks your BMI and health and can refer you to a specialist obesity service. The HSE's model of care puts GP and primary care teams first: identifying obesity, advice and signposting.
  • 2. Community and specialist careThe model of care includes dietitian-led weight management programmes in the community and a specialist obesity team in hospital for severe and complex obesity.
  • 3. Assessment for surgeryIf surgery may be right, a multidisciplinary team assesses you: surgeon, doctor, dietitian, psychologist and nurse.
  • 4. Surgery and follow-upThe operation, then follow-up at the specialist clinic for at least two years and yearly GP checks after that.
A doctor going through notes with a patient

How many operations, and how long the wait

The public service is small for the need. HSE records show 208 people had bariatric surgery in public hospitals in 2024, 320 in 2023 and 171 in 2022. Public bariatric surgery is done mainly in Dublin and Galway, with associated services in Cork.

The HSE's national clinical lead for obesity has said waiting lists for obesity treatment can be up to five years long. The HSE's own model of care says 23% of adults in Ireland have obesity, so demand is far larger than the number of operations.

What it costs as a public patient

Nothing for the hospital stay: public in-patient charges for adults were abolished in 2023. You may still pay for things outside the hospital, such as vitamins after surgery, depending on your medical card or Drugs Payment Scheme cover.

The EU schemes

The HSE's Cross-Border Directive and Treatment Abroad Scheme can help with planned care in another EU or EEA country (and Switzerland, for the Treatment Abroad Scheme). You need a referral and to qualify for the care as a public patient in Ireland, and there are rules on prior approval, set out on gov.ie. Turkey is in neither scheme.

While you wait

  • Ask your GP about community dietitian programmes and weight-loss medicines. Injections vs surgery.
  • Stop smoking, and start the habits you'll need after surgery.
  • Check what private surgery would cost, and what insurance and tax relief would cover. The cost in Ireland.

Questions people ask

Can I get a gastric sleeve free on the HSE?

Yes, if the specialist team decides surgery is right for you. There's no hospital charge for public patients. The wait is the problem: it can run to years.

How do I get referred for bariatric surgery?

Through your GP, who can refer you to an HSE specialist obesity service.

How long is the HSE waiting list for weight loss surgery?

The HSE's national clinical lead for obesity has said waiting lists for obesity treatment can be up to five years. Waits vary with where you're referred.

Does private health insurance get me seen faster?

Insured patients are treated privately, so the public waiting list doesn't apply, but your plan's criteria and waiting periods do.

Read next

Health insuranceHow Irish hospital plans treat weight loss surgery, the waiting periodsGastric sleeve cost in IrelandWhat a sleeve costs privately, what the quote should include, the costs…Who is eligible (BMI)The BMI criteria used in Ireland, the weight they mean for your height

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