Public Health System

Public health system  © istock
Andalucian Health Service

Public Health System

In Andalucia the acronym SAS is more likely to conjure up images of healthcare than air travel. It stands for Servicio Andaluz de Salud, or Andalucian Health Service and is run by the regional government.

If you are planning to use public health facilities in southern Spain, our users' guide will help you get to know your rights and responsibilities as well as which services are provided, which ones you are entitled to and how to go about getting your fair share of the healthcare pie.

SAS also provides you with the opportunity to participate in the service by donating blood, registering as an organ donor and providing feedback on the services you receive.

Additionally, the public health service runs a number of very useful information services that can help you with both general and specific questions and health problems, including specific risks related to this region and climate, for example heat stroke.

Click on any of the following topics to learn more about SAS:

If you are on a waiting list to see a specialist, obtain diagnostic tests or have surgery, the important thing to know is that there are very specific legal guidelines regarding how long you can… More →

If you are a public health user, the good news is that you have a long list of rights, thirty to be exact, and only six responsibilities. The bad news is that many of your rights are not yet a… More →

Our regional health service is a vast system that can be broken down into the following areas: Primary Care. In 2007 there were more than 5,200 General Practitioners - or medicos de familia -… More →

Andalucia's Living Will registry was created at the end of 2003 in order to ensure patients wishes regarding medical procedures are respected in situations where they are unable to make or express… More →

At the beginning of 2007 the Andalucian Regional Health services began to offer a special interpreter service via mobile telephone. The service works by providing administrative staff and doctors… More →

You do have the right to choose your doctor as well as a paediatrician for children under seven. For children aged seven to fourteen parents can either opt for a paediatrician or a GP. Choosing a… More →

Primary Care Centres - Centros de Atención Primaria (CAP) in Spanish - are located throughout big cities as well as towns and villages across Andalucia. This is where you will meet your General… More →

The National Institute of Social Security or branded as 'Seguredad Social' (used known to everyone as the INSS) is the state body that administers Social Security Health Care and state… More →

Every year in Spain around 8,000 people see their lives improved thanks to a very efficient and effective organ donor programme. There is a national organ transplant coordination centre, but alot… More →

Andalucia has one of the highest levels of organ donor participation in Spain and possibly Europe. This is measured by the percentage of the population that agrees to donate organs and tissues of… More →

In Andalucia the acronym SAS is more likely to conjure up images of healthcare than air travel. It stands for Servicio Andaluz de Salud, or Andalucian Health Service and is run by the regional… More →

Dental clinics offer a wide range of services throughout Andalucia, with the public health system in Andalucia only covering emergency extractions and basic dental care for children.

Private ambulance services provide a 24-hour service in most towns and are listed by town under Ambulances in the Yellow Pages. Most clinics and private hospitals also operate their own ambulance… More →