Another Spanish Success Story. Health

You of course knew that Spain has one of the highest life expectancies in the World and it is regarded by the WHO as one of the best places to live on the planet. What you may not have known is that it has a health care system to envy, with very short waiting lists for operations and excellent pre and post op treatment. Here is an article in Expat Focus that tells you more about what to expect. It is reproduced below for those who do not wish to click away from this page.


Spain's Healthcare Service


by Ciara Carruthers

A relaxed, carefree person may move to Spain and begin to enjoy the laid-back way of life immediately; the tapas, the music, the amazing people and the fantastic weather. Life in Spain is wonderful and there is no need to worry about anything, everything is going great. Until they run into a health problem. Yes, life in Spain truly is wonderful, but it doesn´t hurt to find out a little bit about the health care system before you move over, to ensure that if anything does happen with regards to your health you´ll be able to go straight to your doctor and get it sorted out. So, here is a run down of what you need to know about the Spanish health care service.

The health care system in Spain has improved considerably in the last few years and is currently something which the Spaniards have every right to be proud of. Health care centres are widely and frequently distributed throughout the country and finding the centre closest to you is as simple as going to the government health website (http://www.msc.es/ciudadanos/prestaciones/centrosServiciosSNS/home.htm), though it is in Spanish so you may need help from a friend. The health centres offer all the services which people need on a day to day basis; GP, midwives, paediatrics and physiotherapists. The centres are positioned and distributed in such a way as to be, theoretically, within fifteen minutes’ reach of all residents. It´s simply a case of finding out which one is most convenient to you.

People coming from EU countries have the right to free medical care. However, you will need a card known as the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which replaces the old E111 that used to be the necessary documentation. It is advisable to get this before coming to Spain. In England, you can get an application form for the card from your local post office. This card is actually really for tourists, but for people moving to Spain, it will cover any emergencies for the first three months whilst you secure your official Spanish medical card, known as the Tarjeta SS. This you can get from your local Social Security Office and it too entitles you to free medical care. Getting the tarjeta SS is generally no bother and shouldn´t take long. You´ll simply need to show some official documentation such as your passport, residence card and EHIC card, and fill out some forms (which will be in Spanish).

When visiting a doctor, you are entitled to bring with you a person whom you trust. This person doesn´t need to be a family member, just anybody who you would like to be there. Given that most doctors and nurses won´t speak a sufficiently high level of English, a Spanish speaking friend is really going to help you out in this circumstance if you are not fluent, or at least competent, yourself. You are also entitled to choose your own doctor, or change doctors if you are not happy with the one which you have been assigned. In my experience, doctors prove to be friendly and caring, with plenty of time to listen to your problems. However, as with all things in Spain, it helps to be a little bit patient, you may be assigned an appointment time only to find five people ahead of you, also waiting, when you arrive. It you have a real emergency and need to be dealt with right away you can go directly to the nearest public hospital.



Ciara Carruthers works as a freelance content writer for oppSpain (www.oppspain.com), a company that is specialised in selling new developments and off plan properties all over Spain.