jackytoo

Our Doctor in Spain speaks fairly good English. He will not use it when with a patient, doesn't want the responsibility of mistranslating something important. The CDS hospital has a great network of translators but they cannot be around all the time if you are admitted.

Rosemary

I do not know the place and risk being shot down in flames but from what I have read on here Torrevieja might be a possibility.

Graham

mikelincs

Certainly has the sports facilities, etc, BUT you would have to speak some Spanish, it does have a great hospital, but, like the local health centres, it does expect you to have a translator with you if you can't speak Spanish. Even the small towns like Playa Flamenca, just a few kilometers away, which have a very large expat population are not places where you would get away with no Spanish.

Rosemary

That is the problem with impressions I would have been sure it was ok. Carry on like that and I shall have to begin reading the Daily Mail.

Graham

Dxf

Hi

Just a thought about not speaking Spanish - this is copied from my local forum - and yes it is my Grandson I am talking about


On a personal note, I had occasion to try the extent of my Spanish when my grandson fell from the top bunk (literas)! Both hospitals were excellent; at three o’clock in the morning there are not many English speaking people about. Both hospitals? Yes after an X-Ray and a CT scan in Puerto Santa Maria, they discovered my grandson had a crack in his skull (cráneo) so he was rushed in an ambulance to Cádiz hospital to see a specialist!

This has made me sit up and take notice a little more; could you direct an ambulance to your house / local venta and at two in the morning? And do you have notes easy to hand to tell the doctor(s) what happened? Remember initially you see a “Triage” doctor who will pass you onto someone else (in my case, a technician for the X-Ray, and two technicians and a doctor for the CT scan). Then there was the consultant that wrote up the notes of each procedure; and that was one hospital only!

I should add that my grandson has made a full recovery

Yes I realise that many non English speaking people go on holiday to Spain for a fortnight every year. What is not said is that a proportion die each year. The more time in a non English speaking country the more the risk multiplies.

Yes it is your decision to do as you want; but you asked for the advice and maybe you don´t want to listen. My consience is clear

Dave Fisher

whitelinen

Use the 112 emergency number and you will get an English speaking operator.

JLFS

Hi, there, I dont know where you will end up in Spain, but I would most definately advise against Alicante city centre.............And La Coruna in Galicia.

You really do sound like a pheasant plucker.

Cheers.

Mama_Carol

That is not always the case - not 24 hours a day. Do not rely on it.

whitelinen

It is a 24/7 emergency number............. people can rely on it 100%

Big Mac

Personally I found Spanish Job´s direct approach refreshing. He could not be clearer. He does not want to learn Spanish. I live here all year and I do speak Spanish but the choice is his. I don´t think there will be a problem re gym (I live in the country but there are several gyms of varying standards nearby)nor libraries but I don´t know of skate parks (not enough social activities in my part of Spain for you either). I do agree with Cricketman that learning French as an English speaker in Spain may not be easy but hopefully not impossible. Good luck Spanish Job..something tells me you´ll do well.

Mama_Carol

I meant do not rely on there being an English speaking operator. At 5am no English available.

The Capitans Wench

NO you cannot ! I rang this number when my husband was dying, I rang it from UK mobile, spanish mobile and landline and everytime I had to wait to be connected and NEVER was. I never got an english speaker on the phone. My husband died while trying.

At 10.30 pm it did not work either, Mama_Carol

whitelinen

I am sorry to hear that you had problems and can only say that I have used it 4 times in the past few years and 3 of those calls were in the middle of the night and it worked every time by being put through to an English speaking operator in just a few seconds.

JLFS

How terrible for you, I cant begin to imagine what you went through, and all the " I have had great service in Spain" posts, cannot take away your pain.

If I was not able to communicate in Spanish, I would be quaking in my boots right now, because you must have shattered the belief of many who think that you can rely on others when your language skills are lacking.

Sorry about your sad loss, all the best for the future Captains Wench....

gill556

I also speak Spanish but when a 53 year old neighbour was taken ill I phoneds 112 and as soon as I started to speak Spanish the lady said "English wait" and a supposed English speaking person was found after several minutes, every time I started to speak I was told "Lady stop", meanwhile the patient died, all he had was the flu but despite his girlfriend being a Matron in the UK nothing could be done to save him, the ambulance finally arrived 45 mins after my call because they were being directed to a place with a similar name but is miles away, I could hear the instructions being given to the driver but every time I tried to interrupt to tell them they were wrong I was told to "Shut up".