Spain whinges at the cost of treating foreigners.

[katy]

The Andalucian health service says it is 12 million euros out of pocket by treating foreigners. They say many countries refuse to pay the full invoice.

http://www.diariosur.es/v/20100610/mala ... 00610.html

It is claimed there is too much "health tourism" happening. I find this a bit implausable as most people I have known are more likely to opt for treatment in the uk. Spain's health service isn't bad but it is not so wonderful that someone is the UK would decide to pop over to Spain for treatment (almost impossible anyway). Can't imagine the Dutch, German and French opting for treatment in Spain either. I think as one of the spanish comments says they are not getting paid the full amount because they are over inflating the invoices!

[patchdog]

A friend of mine who was diagnosed with leukaemia, went back to the UK to get advice from his doctor, was told to go back and have the treatment in the hospital in Cordoba. The doctor said he would get better treatment at that hospital.

[frank]

Could they be Eastern Europeans, South Americans? I'm sure it happens in other countries, I doubt everyone pays their bill in UK for example. Lucky your friend was in Córdoba, there are over 50,000 waiting in Madrid alone to see a surgeon.
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/683756/ ... quirofano/

[pete_l]

A friend of mine who was diagnosed with leukaemia, went back to the UK to get advice from his doctor, was told to go back and have the treatment in the hospital in Cordoba. The doctor said he would get better treatment at that hospital.

Must've been a while ago, since last year patients have had the power to choose whichever hospital (in england, at least) gives them the best treatment.

[katy]

There are long waiting lists in Málaga too. Nearly a year to see an eye specialist!

I think it would be very difficult for a foreigner to get treatment in andalucía if not in the system or having a EHIC card. You cannot get past reception at the CDS hospital without one unless you present a credit card or insurance certificate.

I know I wouldn't like to be treated in a hospital where I didn't speak the language well as there are not official translators. My OH used to be a volunteer at the CDS hospital and he said people used to be absolutely bewildered.

[Miro]

A couple of years ago, an elderly friend of mine had an eye problem that needed an urgent op. He saw a specialist in Malaga (university) & was in and out of surgery at Torremolinos (Maritimo) before his private insurers could even give him an appointment. Swings and roundabouts, I guess?

[katy]

I know the long lists are true cos the Guy who bought our house and a relative is an eye surgeon. May be different if an emergency.

It also happened to me about 10 years ago. GP said I needed to see an eye specialist. When they rang with appointment date I thought they had made a mistake as the date was 7 months forward. On querying it they said no that was normal as average wait at the CDS was 9 months! I went private and all was fine but it might not have been.

[pigs-might-fly]

As I understand it, if you are legal & in the Spanish system as UK state pensioners, the UK remits a sum each month to the Spanish health service to cover the reciprocal (free) treatment.
We have received truly excellent treatment in Hospital Costa del Sol, in Marbella. All free and at least in HCDS many of the staff, (including the nurses & technicians, not just the doctors) speak some English - certainly enough to get by if you only have a smattering of Spanish.
When my wife was an in-patient, very recently, for a hip replacement she had no less than three separate visits from the volunteer interpreters.

[anewlife]

Well my mum has been diagnosed with breast cancer (she is a pensioner) and her consultant at Baza, Granada province, told her that all female relatives had to have a mammogram. That means me who lives here and my sister and Auntie who both live in the UK.

After seeing the doctor here and filling in a form to be 'put on the system' (I never was before as I never needed to see a doctor), and which is valid for 12 months here (then it has to be renewed for a further 12 months), within a week my appointment came through for my mammogram. I am under the age of having a routine mammogram, but because of mum's illness, they did it. My sister however, in the UK, who is younger than me, is not able to have a mammogram because 'she is well under the age of a routine test and it is not family history', but they will refer her to a 'breast specialist'. Excuse me, but when your mother has breast cancer, then it BECOMES family history. She now has to wait a few months for an appointment. I had mine done within a week, an ultrasoundscan and results on the same day. Fortunately for me it was clear, but they want to send me for another one in 6 months time, given my mum's history.

A friend of mine who is a senior nurse in Durham told me that Spain still tops the healthcare charts.

Maybe they do the 'postcode lottery' like they are doing in the UK? So for me, I can't knock the Spanish healthcare system and they have looked after mum tremendously.

[frank]

A friend of mine who is a senior nurse in Durham told me that Spain still tops the healthcare charts.

There are lots of different charts, different ways of measuring different services, but I'm not sure which one she is looking at, the first one I looked at shows Spain in 22nd position out of 32 European countries.Perhaps she could link us to her chart.
http://www.groundreport.com/Health_and_ ... _3/2908689

[USINSPAIN]

We went to revisit the doctor at the XANIT hospital Benalmadena who my wife has seen twice before for results of a scan, she asked if we spoke Spanish I said I do but very little I am trying to learn but its slow, she then informed me she spoke very little English and then started to speak Spanish to me very very quickly saying next time we must bring someone with us who speaks Spanish. We then started to go through the results and the doctor spoke quite good English???. This is the first time we have had this problem and as I said we have seen this doctor before and she never told us we needed a translater any one else had this happen to them

[El Cid]

What sort of reception do you think you would get if you went to a UK hospital and only spoke Spanish?

Generally you are more likely to get English speaking doctors in Spain than Spanish speaking doctors in the UK.

Sid

[USINSPAIN]

I agree there are more doctors here who speak English than doctors in UK that speak Spanish people not as clever as you know that, but I am sure if we could take this climate back to UK there would be a lot less British here for the doctors to speak to. But my question is still there why is this the first time I have had this problem is it something new going on in spain

[Julie]

A friend of mine was recently in the hospial here in Almeria, the doctor spoke good English, but wouldn't, he said it is to do with mis=diaognosis, that if he accidently said something that was misinterputed, then the hospital could be sued, must be getting like the UK now !

[pigs-might-fly]

What sort of reception do you think you would get if you went to a UK hospital and only spoke Spanish?

Generally you are more likely to get English speaking doctors in Spain than Spanish speaking doctors in the UK.

Sid

They would immediately find a translator at public expense!

[costapacket]

Just thought I'd share this with you as you are on the subject of Doctors...

We had a spanish family at our primary school for a couple of years. Dad was studying to be a doctor in the UK. They told us he had always wanted to be a doctor but didn't get the required grades to study in Spain as you have to get straight A's so they had come to the UK as it was easier to get on the courses here.

One day one of their boys wasn't feeling well. We tried to phone Mum to come and collect him - no reply. We phoned Dad and he came to collect the boy.

The next day Mum came to the school office all of a tiss. Please do not phone Dad in future unless it is an absolute emergency!!!! He had been operating on a patient when his mobile phone rang. A porter at the hospital had answered the phone and taken the message to him in the operating theatre. He had left the patient on the operating table, collected his child from school and then went back to the hospital to finish the operation

My sister was a nurse at the same hospital. She said had known doctors leave the theatre to move their cars

[El Cid]

They would immediately find a translator at public expense!

From what I read you, in the NHS, are more likely to need to find a translator to translate into English!

Sid

[katy]

A friend of mine was recently in the hospial here in Almeria, the doctor spoke good English, but wouldn't, he said it is to do with mis=diaognosis, that if he accidently said something that was misinterputed, then the hospital could be sued, must be getting like the UK now !

Absolutely correct!

[katy]

What sort of reception do you think you would get if you went to a UK hospital and only spoke Spanish?

Generally you are more likely to get English speaking doctors in Spain than Spanish speaking doctors in the UK.

Sid

They would immediately find a translator at public expense!

Very true and very well paid too. At the CDS hospital you may manage to get a translator (volunteer) between 9am-4pm.

[doggit]

I have lived in Spain for 10 years now and 3 years ago I was diagnosed with a terminal illness. The Spanish health system has been exceptional for my entire family, my husband also had cancer and both my sons, various broken bones. The medication I am on would be denied me in the uk and the preventative interferon treatment my husband is now on would not be an option in the uk. We pay tax here and are self employed, we made a huge effort to speak the language of the Country we have chosen to live in, which is now a requirement should you wish to enter the uk as a resident. In the 80's I had private health care, I became ill in America and the health care I have received here is even better than that! And that is saying something. Spanish is the number one language in the world, would you expect the staff to speak every language in the world because the climate is good or just English? Being the second most popular language in the world. Spain is probably whinging at the cost of people who live here, don't join in, don't contribute and moan A LOT.