Bilbao is an important city and the capital of Biscay Province in the Basque Country of Northern Spain, with a population of around 350,000 people, while the wider Bilbao metropolitan area has more than one million residents. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a diverse healthcare network that includes major public and private hospitals, university teaching hospitals, specialist medical centres, and healthcare institutions serving patients from Bilbao as well as neighbouring communities. Bilbao and the wider Basque Country are also home to research and innovation activities in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and digital health. In this blog, we have selected some of the best hospitals in Bilbao and the surrounding metropolitan area, covering their major healthcare services, emergency facilities, specialist departments, bed capacities, locations, and other useful information.
Hospital Quirónsalud Bizkaia
Hospital Quirónsalud Bizkaia is a major private hospital serving Bilbao and the surrounding metropolitan area, with its hospital facilities located in Erandio, Biscay. The hospital has more than 40 medical and surgical specialties and provides adult and paediatric emergency services. Its current facilities include 110 individual patient rooms, a 10-bed surgical day hospital, a 7-bed oncology day hospital, and a 7-bed adult intensive care unit, together with seven operating theatres, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, pharmacy, rehabilitation, and other specialist facilities. The hospital also provides 24-hour paediatric emergency care with an on-site specialist, nursing team, laboratory, and diagnostic imaging services.
This hospital offers various medical services and specialties such as oncology, cardiology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and neonatology, neurology, neurosurgery, nephrology, pulmonology, urology, orthopaedics and traumatology, radiotherapy, medical imaging, laboratory medicine, rehabilitation, obesity management, pain management, sleep medicine, assisted reproduction, and other healthcare services.
Address: Carretera De, Leioa-Unbe Errepidea, 33, 48950 Erandio, Biscay, Spain
Google Rating: 3.6 stars with 1,049 Google reviews (checked in September 2026).
Basurto University Hospital
Basurto University Hospital is a major public university hospital in Bilbao, Spain, and forms part of the Osakidetza Basque Health Service. The hospital was established in 1908 and currently has 680 beds and 21 operating theatres. It provides specialist and tertiary healthcare, supports medical education and specialist training, and serves as a referral centre for a range of complex conditions. Its reference services include areas such as paediatric care, cardiac surgery, liver transplantation, kidney transplantation, major burns, multiple sclerosis, and other specialised treatments. The hospital also handles a large volume of emergency, surgical, and outpatient care each year.
This hospital offers many medical and surgical services, including abdominal wall pathology, child and adolescent psychiatry, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis care, multiple sclerosis care, cardiac surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, and other specialist services. It also has an important role in teaching and clinical training in association with the University of the Basque Country.
Address: Montevideo Etorb., 18, Basurtu-Zorrotza, 48013 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
Google Rating: 3.3 stars with 831 Google reviews (checked in September 2026).
Cruces University Hospital
Cruces University Hospital is a major public university hospital in the Basque Country and is part of the Osakidetza Basque Health Service. The hospital was established in 1955 as a provisional hospital and has since developed into one of the principal specialist healthcare centres in Euskadi. It currently has 847 beds and 33 operating theatres, with a workforce of more than 6,000 professionals. The hospital is a reference centre for complex healthcare services including liver transplantation, adult and paediatric kidney transplantation, major burns, cardiac surgery, paediatric oncology and subspecialties, spinal cord injury care, congenital metabolic diseases, Parkinson’s surgery, and complex ocular surface reconstruction.
Various clinical and specialist services are provided at this hospital, including orthopaedic surgery, oncology, neuroscience, microbiology, genetics, pathology, robotics and advanced surgical services, and other specialist fields. The hospital also plays an important role in medical education, research, and tertiary referral care.
Address: Cruces Plaza, 12, 48903 San Vicente de Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
Google Rating: 3.7 stars with 744 Google reviews (checked in September 2026).
Clínica IMQ Zorrotzaurre
Clínica IMQ Zorrotzaurre is a major private hospital in Bilbao and is described by IMQ as the largest private medical centre in the Basque Country. The current hospital complex has 170 beds following the completion of a major expansion project, which also increased its surgical capacity to 16 operating theatres. The clinic provides 24-hour emergency services for adults and paediatric patients and has extensive surgical, intensive-care, diagnostic, maternity, oncology, and specialist facilities. Its quality credentials include Joint Commission International accreditation, first achieved in 2013 and subsequently renewed, as well as other quality and safety certifications.
The hospital provides a wide range of medical and surgical services, including robotic surgery, cardiology, oncology, advanced diagnostic services, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, intensive care, maternity services, and other specialist departments. Its facilities include multiple operating theatres, intensive-care units, a Da Vinci surgical robot, oncology day services, and specialized maternity and neonatal care.
Address: Ballets Olaeta Kalea, 4, Deusto, 48014 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
Google Rating: 3.1 stars with 771 Google reviews (checked in September 2026).
Hospital de Santa Marina
Hospital de Santa Marina is a public hospital in Bilbao, Spain, and is part of the Osakidetza Basque Health Service. The hospital has 234 beds across five inpatient units and specializes in the care of people with chronic conditions, older adults, and patients requiring palliative care. Its recently renovated palliative-care unit has 30 individual rooms and was inaugurated in 2025 following a major refurbishment. The hospital also provides emergency care appropriate to the needs of its patient population and supports teaching, research, and innovation activities.
Other services available at this hospital include psychological care, pulmonology, therapeutic testing, cardiology, internal medicine, rehabilitation, chronic-care services, and palliative care. The hospital provides coordinated care with other healthcare and social-care organizations within the Basque health system.
Address: Carrer Santa Marina, Circunvalación Errepidea, 41, 48004 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
Google Rating: 4.2 stars with 221 Google reviews (checked in September 2026).
Conclusion
Bilbao and its surrounding metropolitan area have a diverse healthcare network that includes major public and private hospitals, university teaching hospitals, specialist facilities, and centres providing chronic and palliative care. These institutions provide a wide range of medical services, including emergency care, specialist consultations, surgery, maternity and paediatric care, intensive care, oncology, transplantation, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, and other specialised treatments. Public hospitals such as Basurto University Hospital and Cruces University Hospital provide major tertiary and referral services, while private institutions such as Hospital Quirónsalud Bizkaia and Clínica IMQ Zorrotzaurre offer additional medical and surgical services in Bilbao and the surrounding metropolitan area. If you are interested in learning about other best hospitals in Spain, you can also explore our other healthcare guides.
Swastik Saraf is the Founder and Managing Editor of TheMedSector. With a background in data journalism and healthcare research, he specializes in aggregating public health metrics, analyzing institutional data, and mapping out regional healthcare infrastructure. Swastik leads the data compilation team at TheMedSector, ensuring all directory tracking is built on verified primary sources before undergoing formal clinical review.
