RANKED: The best hospitals in Spain

With the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitals have dominated headlines in the last couple of years.

Health workers have also been put under immense amounts of pressure when trying to assist patients with other conditions other than Covid-19.

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But despite the delays that many people have had to endure to be treated in 2020 and 2021, Spain is still widely recognised as having one of the world’s best public healthcare systems.

According to the Hospital Excellence Index, prepared by Spain's Institute of Governance and Applied Economics Coordinates, there is a hierarchy when it comes to hospitals.

They’ve carried out an analysis of hospitals throughout Spain, both public and private, based on the survey answers of nearly 2,000 health professionals.

They ranked the quality of care, hospital service, patient well-being and satisfaction, innovative capacity, personalised attention and use of resources as well as commitment to quality and sustainability.

Madrid and Barcelona dominate the rankings - see them below:

1. Jiménez Díaz Foundation, Madrid

According to the ranking, the Jiménez Díaz Foundation is the best hospital in Spain. Forbes magazine also included the Foundation in its list of the 20 best hospitals in the world, the only Spanish hospital on the list. 

2. La Paz, Madrid

Madrid also takes the second spot. La Paz is a world class hospital particularly renowned for its specialisms cardiovascular disease, hematology, neonatology and organ transplantation.

3. Gregorio Marañón, Madrid

Another Madrid hospital takes third place . Not only is this Marañón’s first top three ranking, but it is the first time Madrid has rounded out the top three since the rankings began. Marañón ranks first in Spain for Pulmonology and Cardiac Surgery, second in Cardiology and Neurosurgery and third in Endocrinology.

4. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona

A consistent performer in the ranks, last year Newsweek ranked it in the top 25 globally, and the Barcelona-based university hospital is known for its strength in research and teaching.

5. Hospital Universitario Valle de Hebrón, Barcelona

A huge hospital based in Barcelona, the Valle de Hebrón ‘campus’ is split up into five centres, and sees a staggering 1.2 million patients a year.

6. University Hospital Quironsalud, Madrid

One of Spain’s biggest private hospitals, ​​this Madrid centre boasts 39 medical and surgical specialties.

7. La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia

Not only has La Fe moved up a ranking over the last year, but it’s the only non Madrid or Barcelona based hospital in the top 10, and is known not only for seeing thousands of patients a day, but for its strong reputation in research and teaching.

8. Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, Madrid

Another large Madrid based hospital of over 800 beds, it is linked to the famous Complutense University of Madrid.

9. Hospital Ruber Internacional, Madrid

Part of Madrid’s Quironsalud group, Ruber Internacional is an ‘integrated’ hospital that specialises in surgical procedures, and has a renowned International Dermatological Clinic. 

10. Hospital Quirónsalud Barcelona

Rounding out the top 10, Hospital Quirónsalud Barcelona is known for its international approach: they offer multilingual services and have agreements with many of the world’s leading medical insurers.