spanish NHS

[john sutton]

I,d like to tell you about my day yesterday
It started when I went to my private clinic for blood tests and an ex-ray .Both these were well overdue as I suffer from c.o.d.p and also watch uk television ad,s about the "cough".on the way to the clinic ,crossing the road I tripped and fell.No great damage so I continued to the clinic.The clinic doctor wrote a note to various places for
the tests to take place including the fees but suggested that as I,m resident I should go to A&E in the Marbella hospital.
My wife dropped me off as parking was a problem and also being nhs I was prepared for a long wait.
The waiting room was absolutely packed but within an hour I was hooked up to blood test tubes oxygen tubes steroid tubes and blood pressure machines and probably other machines that were beyond my comprehension-
Then to a room to continue the drips etc and wait for x-rays then back to the observation lounge to be monitored for three more hours .All the time being pumped with steroids and antibiotics.
Finally after being satisfied that they had the problem under control they sent me home.
I decided to get a tax ibut unfortunately once again I tripped and fell(twice in one day) but I was determined not to go back for treatment as I now wanted to get home.
My impression of Spanish NHS was that they knew what they were doing and whats more they care.
One observation I would like to make is that old men falling over repeatedly have nothing to worry about it just proves that they are getting up again.

[Keith Tindell]

Hi John , interesting subject, as a resident in Spain can you get treatment all the time via NHS ?, or do you have to contribute in some form?, a former workmate of mine resident in France i believe has to contribute to the french system, but himself and wife also go private. Just interested in how Europe works, regards KT

[Ivan Cloherty]

My experience of the Spanish NHS system was good when I had an accident, but I had to contribute to dressings and medicines, even though being a pensioner. Also there are numerous notices in various languages which state, 'We do not speak your language, the language of this hospital is Spanish, as are all the forms, if you need an interpreter or translator please bring one with you at your expense, as we do not provide them' Now I thought that notice very fair, but reflected that if such a notice was displayed in a British hospital then the yuman rites lawyers would be queueing outside the hospital doors looking for offended non-English speakers. My question is if the Spanish can have these notices and no action is taken, why cannot we, we are both members of the EEC

[alf corbyn]

ivan, if we had those notices the hospitals would be empty

[robpage]

Our local hospital was rubbish a few years ago ( Queen Alexandra Cosham - Portsmouth ) Then Carillion built a new Hospital under a PFI , so I thought from bad to worse , I have a friend whose wife is there in the High Dependency Unit who cannot praise it enough , especially the quality and caring of the staff , In relating that to several other people I was astounded what a high level of praise everyone gives that hospital , and more than six people now have mentioned how caring the staff are . I have grave doubts about PFIs and Carillion as a contractor , and the politics behind it , but it looks like all my fears were unfounded

[happy daze john in oz]

My experience of the Spanish NHS system was good when I had an accident, but I had to contribute to dressings and medicines, even though being a pensioner. Also there are numerous notices in various languages which state, 'We do not speak your language, the language of this hospital is Spanish, as are all the forms, if you need an interpreter or translator please bring one with you at your expense, as we do not provide them' Now I thought that notice very fair, but reflected that if such a notice was displayed in a British hospital then the yuman rites lawyers would be queueing outside the hospital doors looking for offended non-English speakers. My question is if the Spanish can have these notices and no action is taken, why cannot we, we are both members of the EEC

Yes you are correct in your last line, but from what I know of it Spain does not tolerate some of the so called 'do gooders' and others who think they are there to look after every one it is about time some one took these people to task. Go to japan or any other country and you will find the same as in Spain.

[john sutton]

KT .. I get all my treatment free and upto 2 years ago all prescripions were free for pensioners but now I pay a percentage of the prescription fee according to my income but it comes to peanuts

[Keith Tindell]

I have just looked online and the NHS here spends 23 million pounds per year on translation services. This is crazy when everyone is expected to pay their own way, this must be something that the patient has to carry the cost of? Kt

[Jim Brady]

There is a TV programme on weekly at the moment Benidorm ER,it is a private hostpital and very well run.I notice that when a Brit has an accident here they are always taken to the private hostpital and the hostpital does very well from the insurance companies.They wont do anything for nothing,they could be part way through treating someone and they find out they are not covered by insurance,treatment is stopped and they are told to go to the NHS hostpital,no help offered to get them there.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Ivan Cloherty]

#9 I have always been taken to a Spanish NHS hospital Jim, using my NHS EHIC card, only charge was medicines and dressings which I could have claimed back from NHS if I wanted to, but never did, because I thought the treatment and attention received more than compensated for the charges made. You can bet your bottom dollar that most of those taken to private hospitals haven't bothered to get an EHIC card even though they are free of charge to all. If I need to go from Torquay A & E to Plymouth or Newton Abbot A & E for further treatment then no help is offered to get me there either, so I think that is standard everywhere, but stand to be corrected.