|
|
|
|
The standards of medicine and surgery in Spain
are good. As with the UK and ROI there are two systems. One
private, the other run by the State. State medicine seems
to be very good, with many ex-pats attesting to the skill
of Spanish doctors and the care given by Spanish Nurses.
|
| The decision to leave your own
country to take up life in another may well involve several
gambles but when it comes to looking after your health, there
can be nothing left to chance. If children are involved this
is even more the case. Can you safely and confidently leave
the health care you have in your own country to take up a new
life in Spain? The answer is both yes and no and depending upon
where you wish to live.
Where and when it is good, the quality of Spanish
health care and facilities available to patients probably equals
anywhere in Europe and betters most. However, standards across
the country vary considerably, with public medicine being scant
in some inland areas. A point to consider carefully if you have
children or an ongoing medical problem.
The Spanish are among the world's healthiest
people and have an average life expectancy of 80 for women and
74 for men, the highest in the EU. The incidence of heart disease
in Spain is among the lowest in the world, a fact attributed
to the Spanish diet which includes considerable quantities of
garlic, olive oil and red wine. Recently, this figure has started
to rise and is believed to be as a result of the increasing
popularity of "foods to go" such as hamburgers and
other foods with high fat content.
|
| Social
Security Service: There are several ways in which
you may be entitled to benefits from Spain's Social Security
Service. The first and indisputable, is if you contribute to
the country's system of social security. To be able to do this
you need to be working either as an employee or on a self-employed
basis.
|
|
| If you are an EU national, retired
and in receipt of a state pension you are fully covered for
all aspects of health care in Spain including totally free drugs
and medications. If you are not entitled to benefits from the
Spanish Social Security System you must have private insurance
and will have to present proof of this when applying for a residence
card. An E111
or insurance cover note will not sufficent.
If you have made regular payments by way of Social
Security contributions in your own country for the two years
prior to moving to Spain, then you will be entitled to public
health cover for a limited period from the date of your last
contribution. In the UK, full information can be obtained from
the DHSS in Newcastle, who have always proved most helpful in
regard to this matter.
Medical Services:
Public health benefits include general and specialist medical
care, hospitalisation, subsidised drugs, dressings and medicines,
basic dental care but excluding cosmetic dentistry, maternity
care, appliances and transportation. Whilst both general and
specialist medical treatment is free, patients must pay a percentage
of the cost of certain items such as drugs and medicines although
these are without charge if you are retired. Contributions are
considerably less than those required in the UK.
If you are currently taking regular medication
or undergoing a course of ongoing treatment, you should ask
your current doctor to provide "notes from file" which
will consist of your condensed medical history. You can give
this, or better still, a copy to the doctor you select following
your arrival in Spain. If you have it translated into Spanish
so much the better but if you can't arrange this, he certainly
will be able to. In any event, if you don't speak Spanish you
will probably find a doctor who speaks English so the need will
probably not arise.
If you elect private health insurance you can
select any doctor and be seen at most times convenient to yourself.
This obviates the necessity to register with any particular
doctor, leaving you free to visit who you want and importantly,
obtain a second opinion easily should you feel it necessary.
|
|
If you already speak some Spanish, we would recommend
you to visit the website of the Comunidad Valencia. On this
page you can get more information about the medical services
in Spain. The "Department of Health" you will find
under the menu "Consellerias" following "Conselleria
de Sanitat".
|
|
| In Spain, all cities and large
towns have at least one hospital or clinic. In most resort areas
these are modern and equipped to international standards. Staff
are highly trained and abundant to such a degree that two years
ago the UK Health Service concluded a deal with the Spanish
authorities for the supply of trained nurses for British Hospitals.
If your interest lies in inland Spain, you
should be aware that hospital facilities in some rural areas
may be poor. In these areas, although the situation is slowly
changing, there can still be long waiting lists and equipping
of some hospitals which leaves a little to be desired.
|
The building of more hospitals and reduction
of waiting lists - wherever they are, remains a priority for
the Spanish Government. However, if you want all singing all
dancing health care, then this is available through any of
the private medical insurers. Medical insurance in Spain is
remarkably cheap when compared to the UK and even more so
if you shop carefully and tailor a policy to your own particular
needs.
Do you want to visit the websites of the "Instituto
Nacional de la Salud"? Or, do you want to know more about
the Spanish Department of Health and Alimentation? Than click
on the graphics!
|
|
| Finally we like to say that regardless
of whether your medical cover is from the Spanish state or obtained
privately by way of an insurance policy, medical standards in
Spain are generally quite high and in most large cities and
resort areas, waiting times are relatively short.
|
|
