Portugals health service
Jul 22nd 2009, 11:59 pm
#31
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2009
Location: Vila Real de Santo Antonio
Posts: 63
Re: Portugals health service
Well that nicely said what we've all been saying. E111 is just for tourists. If you come to Portugal to live you have to go with their health system, unless you go privately, which apparently 40% of Portuguese do according to some statistic issued last week. And there's no way you can go back to the UK and use their health service. Sounds fair enough to me.
Jul 23rd 2009, 12:42 am
#32
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 54
Re: Portugals health service
Sounds like things are not as good down in the Algarve as they are here in Coimbra. My GP here is brilliant and there was no waiting. So I speak as I find.
For specialists I agree there are long waits and that's where the abundance of private clinics come in. Fee can be anything from €30 to €80.
For specialists I agree there are long waits and that's where the abundance of private clinics come in. Fee can be anything from €30 to €80.
Jul 23rd 2009, 12:57 am
#33
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2009
Location: Vila Real de Santo Antonio
Posts: 63
Re: Portugals health service
Sounds like things are not as good down in the Algarve as they are here in Coimbra. My GP here is brilliant and there was no waiting. So I speak as I find.
For specialists I agree there are long waits and that's where the abundance of private clinics come in. Fee can be anything from €30 to €80.
For specialists I agree there are long waits and that's where the abundance of private clinics come in. Fee can be anything from €30 to €80.
An appointment with a private GP here costs somewhere around the €30 mark. I've seen a private gastroenterologist, cost €75 and also had some extra private appointments with an obstetrician when I was pregnant which cost around €75 a go including an ultrasound scan. For a private GP you can often get an appointment on the same day. But when I went to see the gastro i had to wait about 10 days as he moves around from clinic to clinic and only goes to the local one once a fortnight. But he was worth the weight, I wanted to marry him by the time I left!! ....but i digress...
Jul 23rd 2009, 8:59 am
#34
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2009
Location: Pershore, Worcestershire
Posts: 10
Re: Portugals health service
You go girl, feel allot better now ( not ) !!!!! 
Jul 23rd 2009, 9:10 am
#35
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Madeira Island
Posts: 199
Re: Portugals health service
This is my recent experience:-
A friend came to stay with me in Madeira near Funchal.
He started to have pain from kidney stones and phoned his UK doctor for advice who recommended a certain drug.
He went to the nearest clinic, (beside the Se, if anyone knows Funchal) and asking to see a doctor for a prescription, showed his EHIC to the receptionist.
The Receptionist told him that the EHIC was only to be used for EMERGENCY HOSPITAL cases!!!!!! and asked for 40 euros to see the doctor.
When he returned to my home with the required prescription I phoned the clinic and asked for information about the costs.
I was informed as above and she added that if the doctor had to visit the patient at my home it would cost 60 euros.
So according to the Health Service ib Madeira at least the EHIC is seen as emergency use only.
Incidently he had to fly back early to the UK as the pain simply got worse, so breaking his holiday. When he applied to his Holiday Insurance company for re-payment (Norwich Union through Barclays Bank Addition Policy) they turned down his application on the grounds that he hadn't told them he had kidney stones!!!!!!! Of course he didn't know that before he came to Madeira!
A moral there somewhere
A friend came to stay with me in Madeira near Funchal.
He started to have pain from kidney stones and phoned his UK doctor for advice who recommended a certain drug.
He went to the nearest clinic, (beside the Se, if anyone knows Funchal) and asking to see a doctor for a prescription, showed his EHIC to the receptionist.
The Receptionist told him that the EHIC was only to be used for EMERGENCY HOSPITAL cases!!!!!! and asked for 40 euros to see the doctor.
When he returned to my home with the required prescription I phoned the clinic and asked for information about the costs.
I was informed as above and she added that if the doctor had to visit the patient at my home it would cost 60 euros.
So according to the Health Service ib Madeira at least the EHIC is seen as emergency use only.
Incidently he had to fly back early to the UK as the pain simply got worse, so breaking his holiday. When he applied to his Holiday Insurance company for re-payment (Norwich Union through Barclays Bank Addition Policy) they turned down his application on the grounds that he hadn't told them he had kidney stones!!!!!!! Of course he didn't know that before he came to Madeira!
A moral there somewhere
Last edited by Jon_D; Jul 23rd 2009 at 9:15 am.
Jul 24th 2009, 3:32 pm
#36
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 293
Re: Portugals health service
from what i can see the problem is that the algarve has x amount of registered residents , ie locals , and because of the relatively low number of people there is a low number of health provision...can this can also be seen as why there is a policing problem too.
Problem is you see all that concrete and then realise theres actually very view people living there , from what i gather this is a primary agrument for the mayor that recently mentioned taxing tourists.....perhaps they should bring in 2nd home rates or tax empty houses and derelicts instead.
A post earlier mentioned france and health car for uk expat pensioners , was there not talk of sarcozy removing this?
Problem is you see all that concrete and then realise theres actually very view people living there , from what i gather this is a primary agrument for the mayor that recently mentioned taxing tourists.....perhaps they should bring in 2nd home rates or tax empty houses and derelicts instead.
A post earlier mentioned france and health car for uk expat pensioners , was there not talk of sarcozy removing this?
Jul 25th 2009, 11:09 am
#37
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 54
Re: Portugals health service
[QUOTE=masterbaits;7780965]from what i can see the problem is that the algarve has x amount of registered residents , ie locals , and because of the relatively low number of people there is a low number of health provision
I think masterbaits has a very pertinent point. Re. number of residents, do ex-pats there register with the 'Ministério Da Administração' and get a residency permit (Cartão De Residência) as is required by law? If not, then the figures for the number of residents do not include those ex-pats and the health and police service provided would suffer.
Re costs for private medicine I paid privately for a dual operation 2 weeks ago to remove most of my prostate and have 3 large bladder stones removed. Cost for the operation and stay for 1 week at a private clinic was €5,500. Basically exactly the same as it would cost the UK.
I think masterbaits has a very pertinent point. Re. number of residents, do ex-pats there register with the 'Ministério Da Administração' and get a residency permit (Cartão De Residência) as is required by law? If not, then the figures for the number of residents do not include those ex-pats and the health and police service provided would suffer.
Re costs for private medicine I paid privately for a dual operation 2 weeks ago to remove most of my prostate and have 3 large bladder stones removed. Cost for the operation and stay for 1 week at a private clinic was €5,500. Basically exactly the same as it would cost the UK.
Jul 25th 2009, 1:32 pm
#38
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Scotland, Praia da Luz Portugal
Posts: 848
Re: Portugals health service
I have a house in Algarve and I come here for about 6 months per year. I am not resident. When I had a similar situation in Spain I was able to register with the Padron which enabled the town council to have me included in their headcount. Is there a similar system in Algarve?
