megmet

Yes a translator service does exist via a three way phone call.
I'm sorry I can't give you the number here or tell you if there is a charge, but posters have been placed in our local health centre giving all the relevant information.....
We are quite a distance from expat land, so if we get the service it should be available there too!

HBG

As a logical response to a very high demand, Torrevieja council has built a new, state of the art hospital, and a large health clinic to cater mostly for expats, a fabulous, self financing service. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, proper English speaking doctors and consultants are still few and far between.

The services may be free to expats that qualify, which is most of them, but they need proper interpreters to use the facilities, and those interpreters are not cheap. They’ve tried the three-way phone service but found it didn’t work.

If you are unfortunate enough to have to make regular use of the facilities and need an expensive interpreter each time, it will cost you as much as private medical insurance which includes the free provision of a properly qualified interpreter.

Learning Spanish helps, but you need to be highly proficient to understand complicated medical terms.

‘Tengo dolor’ and pointing to your heart will not be enough.

johnnyone

Hear,hear.

Why should the tax paying public subsidise the lifestyle of fraudsters whether they be benefit cheats or tax evaders?

Every pound cheated out of the public purse must effect the quality of services available elsewhere.

In my local pub, there are a number of self employed guys who are openly proud of how little tax they pay, yet constantly complain about the lack of and cost of public services etc. being provided.

The bigger the clampdown the better whether that be in the UK, Spain or wherever.

Lynn R

If there were signs in alternative languages in UK hospitals, it would be far more likely that they would be in Urdu rather than in Arabic - I'm sure the Arab population of the UK is far smaller than the Pakistani/Bangladeshi community.

If you're going to make such ridiculous claims, at least understand what you are talking about and what languages various communities actually speak!

I've had reason to spend a lot of time in Bolton Royal Hospital (as a visitor not a patient thankfully) - Bolton has a large Asian population but there are certainly no signs in languages other than English there.

rugbymatt

As I said, sometimes Daily Wail readers believe what they are told.... regardless of how ridiculous it may sound.

jackytoo

There are a lot of interpreters at the Costa del Sol hospital for all languages. They are not paid, just volunteers. I know some who do it. I think La Cala health centre has a voluntary scheme too.

jdr

Most of the ones around here do too, as stated previously there is a phone system you can use too.
Although you may be fairly good at Spanish sometimes the doctors need to be sure you understand the treatment so they get the interpreter in regardless.

Bigger Jim

Both Urdu and Arabic speakers use the same script but different languages so it would, in truth, be quite difficult for a Brit to know which was which.

There are over half a million Arabic speakers living in the London area and more than two million of Pakistani ancestry in the UK.

Could you, hand on heart, tell the difference between an Urdu and an Arabic notice I know I couldn't. Do any of the NHS trusts put up non English signs? I wouldn't be surprised by anything some of them do. So how did the O.P. rattle so many cages?

P.S. I noticed that a number of NHS Trusts claim to provide notices in foreign languages to their patients.

Jim

anonimouse

Quote Lynn R

If there were signs in alternative languages in UK hospitals, it would be far more likely that they would be in Urdu rather than in Arabic - I'm sure the Arab population of the UK is far smaller than the Pakistani/Bangladeshi community.

If you're going to make such ridiculous claims, at least understand what you are talking about and what languages various communities actually speak!

I've had reason to spend a lot of time in Bolton Royal Hospital (as a visitor not a patient thankfully) - Bolton has a large Asian population but there are certainly no signs in languages other than English there.


Just put me down as a liar wiil ya, eh?

This is one thing I just love doing and lieing about.... I find it an amazing pastime.

You know what, some of you on here are absolute F...ing Ar"·e H··les

You can't have a conversation without trying be one up on everyone, there's a great name for you, know alls who know nowt and cant accept what decent folk say at face value. .

I have seen these signs with my own eyes by the way.

This is hearsay though, when I pointed out all the signs that I took to be Arabic, (definately not English), to a friend, I was told that they get take away foods brought in due to their religion too. A reminder Hearsay this last bit

bil

Couple of points, it is quite correct to say that the difference between Urdu and arabic script is so small as for the average person to be unable to tell the difference.

Secondly, I had a most interesting private mail sent me by someone in the know. I'd said that I'd like to see the difference between the amount of benefits wrongly claimed, and the legitimate benefits that are unclaimed.

Apparantly the unclaimed does indeed far outweigh the wrongfully claimed.

No great surprise there.

anonimouse

But I bet you need to use far more in the Uk than in Spain¿ In winter it's light here until 6pm for a start.

rugbymatt

Isn't that swings and roundabouts though? In the summer in the Uk it can stay light until 10pm.

steviedeluxe

Not that I've seen lights being used less in Spain, but often in the UK it's gloomy even in mid-summer if a lot of cloud is in the sky.

Of course the other argument is that air-con is needed more in the Spanish summer.

anonimouse

and still need the heating on


Naaa... IMO it's far cheaper to run my house in Spain than any of my other houses ever were.

The most expensive utility bill I get in Spain is the Internet, that is scandalous but even with this it 's nowhere near close to UK bills. I simply couldn't afford to live in the Uk unless I was claiming it all.

whitelinen

Of course it will ...........how do you think people with speech impediments/unconscious/accident etc etc get on ? ............ the person would get hooked up to a machine which would provide the info

Nobody who is genuinely ill should worry about getting treatment/care in a Spanish hospital.