eric4u

What worry's did you have when you left the UK . I do not have very good health and I do worry about leaving the safety of the NHS in the UK .

What could I do to get good health care in Spain I am 64 years old
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Solarwhizz

Safety of the NHS, Hmmm MRSA,,, Ecoli, and now I believe they have found a new one to make you ill with!!!

However, there are a few options,
Obviously private health care,
But you are very near retirement age and therefore should qualify for inclusion of the Spain health care system on reaching 65 (assume your are a male, if female that would be 60(Dont forget you will need the F121 from DWPUK).

If you live in some regions, for example Valencia, inc Alicante, they accept you into the system immediately on a basis that all EU citizens are entitled to treatment.

If you have been working in the UK prior to coming to Spain and paying NHS contributions, you will qualify for up to two years which will take you up to retirement age and then qualifying, (You will need E106 for this from DWP Newcastle.

Or you could chance your luck on the EHIC card which from what I can see seems to be ok in some parts of Spain, (It covers you for all necessary (read emergency) treatment whilst temporarily away from Home country, this may cover you again until you reach 65 and fully qualify.

There is full information on http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/sa29/medical_06.asp

Mitzyboy

Its an E121

Not sure about this free healthcare in Valencia. I recently got around to registering my E106 which expires next January, and the people at the desk where I registered made it very clear that it would run out at that point. I've been issued with a temporary card .... interseting to see if I get a proper one in the post

Rosemary

Do not hold your breath the temporary card is exactly that ....temporary. We thought that when we registered and were given temporary cards that the 'proper' ones would come in the post but they did not. When the temp cards ran out we had to go to the securidad social office with all of our paperwork and hoped again to be given a permanent card but only got temps again.

Rosemary

Mitzyboy

Well, I guessed as much which is why we took out private cover, but of course that doesn't cover you for all eventualities.

Why did they issue you with another temporary card Rosemary, and how long did it last?

Rosemary

I think it lasts another six months. Not sure but I think that using the E106 only gets a temp card. Hoping that when we go onto the E121 we will have permanent cards.

Rosemary

ssd

Of the people I have spoken to over the past 18 months about this subject, the feedback seems to always be that hospital/clinic care is first class, but more elderly or unwell ex-pats worry more about aftercare, which is sadly lacking apparently...?

N.B. This is anecdotal, I do not speak from personal experience.

mikelincs

If you are over 65, or your wife is over 60, then either one of you qualifies for the E121, the other one can be below the required age, but one must qualify. You then get the E121 fro Newcastle, and the other person will be included. This happened to us, I was under 60, but wife was over, so we qualified for FREE healthcare.
Not sure about leaving the SAFETY of the NHS, having worked there for over 40 years, and seen the standard of care over here, then I would go for the Spanish system.

Justlookin

I forget which channel her in the UK did it but there was a programme on this topic and particularly the aftercare or perhaps lack of it in Spain except if you pay for it.

The other problem highlighted was of course the fact that if you have played by the rules you have problems if you think you can escape back to the NHS.

If you go to Spain with pre-existing medical problems generally they will not be covered by your private cover, only new problems are covered (and insurers are of course overly generous in deciding whether what you think is an unrelated problems is really just a further development of a pre-existing one).

The TV programme made it clear that the standard of care was good in Spain just dont let it be a problem requiring long term care or rehabilitation.

There was also a very valid point made about how expats make it difficult on themselves not learning Spanish in that ,from their research, this did lead to additional problems. Trouble is, those requiring the most medical care will generally be shall we say mature and not very good at persisting in their attempts to learn Spanish. I have to say that this impression is commonly held and supported frequently by threads on this site and other TV programmes in the UK. My own Mum-in-law is perhaps typical in her view that "they do know it (English) or should know it. They have enough British customers". The trouble is the majority of Spain does not have as many Brit visitors as those we all know of but try convincing her of that.

Come on someone what company has the best healthcare cover for those with the usual problems of maturity, cataracts, glaucoma, heart problems and hearing - I SAID HEARING.

I have to admit I have a fair amount of involvement with the NHS in my work and whilst I know only too well of its failings I would be very slow to throw to many stones.

twyntub

There is a notice in our GP surgery in many european languages - along the lines of "Here in Valencia, you are entitled to the same standard of care as everyone else - however if you don't speak Spanish we ask that you bring an interpreter".

I don't think it's too much to ask. This is Spain. They speak Spanish here!

Solarwhizz

To repeat
Health cover is available for all EU systems, in some regions of Spain, Valencia is and has as an autonomous community elected to offer free health cover for all EU entitled persons who are resident in spain. you apply at your local INSS office/Centro de Salud for your area. (dont forget to take every bit of paper with your name on it that you have ever owned)

The presidente of Murcia region declared at a recent press conference that they will be offering the same rights within one year, that was about 3 months ago so we will have to wait and see.

Why go private, basically for the same reasons as the UK, no waiting, private facilities, choose your doctor and specialist. They have staff that speak your language if you choose your hospital,
and basically cos you can if you can afford it!!


Take a copy of this with you when you go to register

Según la Circular 1/2002 de la Comunidad Autónoma Valenciana, los ciudadanos miembros de la Unión Europea residentes en las provincias de Alicante, Castellón y Valencia, quienes no son ni pensionistas ni trabajadores, tienen el derecho a la asistencia sanitaria.

Dichas personas deben de solicitar la tarjeta sanitaria en su Centro de Salud correspondiente, haciendo referencia a “la extensión de asistencia sanitaria a demanda según la Circular 1/2002”. Deberán rellenar un impreso de solicitud el cual deberá ser presentado junto con el pasaporte en vigor y un certificado de empadronamiento de fecha de emisión reciente.

En caso de que el personal del Centro de Salud no conoce la mencionada Circular 1/2002, y por tanto no pueden tramitar la emisión de la tarjeta sanitaria, se le debe pedir que contacte con el jefe del departamento que se detalla a continuación, quien podrá informarle del contenido de la misma:

Sección de Afiliación y Validación
Consellería de Sanidad
calle Gerona, 26
03001 Alicante
tels: 965 938022 y 965 938099

If you find this has been invalidated please let me know,
Nb as with all things in Spain tenacity and patience are essential.

barbara preston

Safety of the NHS´- WHAT SAFETY???? I am a retired intensive care nurse. We moved to Spain after my husband suffered very badly at the hands of the health service in Worthing and after I witnessed the most diabolical standards of nursing care at Worthing hospital. Since moving here seven years ago, we have had to call on the Spanish health service a number of times, including eye surgery for my husband in Rosell hospital in Cartagena, Murcia and we have nothing but praise for the standards of care here. True, it is necessary for relatives/friends to provide for the basic needs of the patient, washing, toiletting etc. but as far as the doctors and nurses are concerned their care is far, far in advance of the NHS and the hospitals are definitely a great deal cleaner. Equally so, the speed with which you can get to see a consultant is far better than the UK, I personally got to see a consultant recently within two weeks and although, in his opinion, there is nothing seriously wrong with me, he has ordered numerous tests and investigations to make absolutely certain all is well. Try getting this service in the UK. There are drawbacks obviously, the need for relatives being involved, a general lack of after care and having to pay for such items as crutches, physiotherapy etc. but on the whole, if we are going to be ill, we would much rather it was here in Spain than in the UK. Our local health centre is open 24 hours a day with a doctor on duty at all times for emergencies and our own doctor speaks fluent English. However, it is not difficult to obtain an interpreter if you don't speak Spanish and in a neighbouring town the local council have provided free interpreting services on one day a week. Spain is not perfect, but where in the world is? To anyone with doubts about the standards of health care here I would say the following :- It's much better than in the UK, a sad admission from an ex-nurse who has seen standards of nursing, cleanliness etc. go down and down until it seems to have become positively dangerous to go into hospital in the UK. Incidentally, I have researched the incidence of MRSA in Europe and the latest statistics state that in terms of all hospital acquired infections, the UK has a 48% incidence whilst Spain has 27% - not perfect, but a great deal better. Apparently, if you want to be in safest place you have to live in Norway, which has a 1% incidence! I hope this will reassure anyone who has doubts about care in Spain.

Justlookin

I think there is still a major problem with aftercare particularly for the older expat. As you are well aware nursing those hardly able to look after themselves particularly with mobility problems, is hard enough for trained nurses. Lifting is a particular problem with I believe a job-related incidence of injury far mmore thanmost if not all other forms of employment. I don't believe for one moment that looking after such a patient is going to be that easy for the expat family members, most of whom will live in the UK.

Overall Spain appears to have a better track record insofaras treatment itself but has no aftercare/or insufficient. aftercare.

What happens when you are in your 70's and suffer an illness with long-term mobility problems and your partner dies? Even if you have children they have lives of their own to lead but without any close family, what then? Go back to the UK - but you will not be entitled to use the NHS for I believe at least 6 months, if not more - and anyway how do you get back to the UK?

I think the element of safety is to do with aftercare rather than the treatment itself. It has to be considered as you get older and before anything serious does occur. Aftercare in the UK is by no means perfect, far from it but you can fight to get that care and in a language that is natural to you.

Does anyone know if there is any form of insurance you can get in Spain just to cover carers help.

Econ

Just coming to Spain and using the health service here will be a good start, in my experiance it is far superior to that of the UK.
I know of someone who started a process for a fairly major operation here after being on the waiting list in the UK for over a year, the 68 year old person moved to Spain in the process and seen a Doctor in the social here, where sent to be seen by a couple of specialists, was placed on the waiting list here, where operated on, recovered and visiting the UK 12 months later when they called in to their old the doctor and suggested he was removed from the UK waiting list '2 years by that stage'. The operation was done on the Spainish social, was a great sucess and the care next to none.

What you will find is that you will probably have problems with conversing, many Doctors have some knowlage of English, others not a lot. Especially those of the social system.

Generally if in Hospital it will be as a 2 per room basis 'No large mixed wards as is seemingly the norm in the UK now', you can even stay in the room at night. I stayed for 3 nights after my father had an operation, I took in a pillow, blanket and streatched out the padded recliner and kipped there. This is common after relatives have an operation, you just need to remember you are not staying in a hotel, it is a hospital and you must abide by the rules, you will not get a great nights sleep as the nuse will come in with medication for the patients and for an early wake up but at least you are there to keep an eye on the relative for what might be the first couple of unconfortable nights.

When I had the above experiance with my father I knoticed the hospital was cleaned by nurses 'or girls in nurses uniforms?', after the first girl went around mopping and cleaning another followed close behind with another trolly to clean all the areas that people touched, handles, door plates etc.

Hope this helps
Mike