Briain Walsh, pictured with his partner Nikki, travelled to Denia for hernia surgery with Dr Antonio Alberola.

The 32-year-old admits that like a lot of Irish men, he put off going to a doctor – until a casual conversation with a work colleague who had been to Spain with Healthcare Abroad to also get his hernia fixed! Briain works for a forestry company, lives in west Clare and is due to move to County Galway soon.

Work colleague Colm Gilheaney travelled to Denia earlier this year.

“I’ve had a hernia for a few years,” says Briain.

“I was working in gardening and landscaping and doing a lot of heavy lifting and this groin hernia would pop up every now and then.

“Of course, every time I thought that I’d better get it seen to, it would ease. So, I would keep putting it off (seeing a doctor). Like a lot of Irish men, we don’t look after our health.

“It just never quite went away. And so I took the decision to get it sorted and a chance conversation with my work colleague Colm changed everything. He told me about his great experience in Spain with Healthcare Abroad and gave me the number to call.

“I went to my GP and he told me that he had referred patients to Healthcare Abroad and he had great things to say about the company.

“It all sounded too good to be true, but my work colleague and my GP said they couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

“Paul at Healthcare Abroad was great. He organised the Credit Union loan too. I just had to pop in to sign for it.

“We flew out via Shannon, we were picked up by Kevin at Alicante airport and given all the appointment times when we got to the hotel. Dr Alberola was superb. The nurses at the HCB Hospital in Denia were extremely kind and caring.

“My experience has been outstanding. The hotel was lovely. The weather was superb. It’s really hard to believe – but it’s all real, and all brilliant.”