Healthcare in Spain

I am considering applying for residencia in Spain. I am retired, married and I think we meet the financial requirements.

I have spent a lot of time in Spain over the last 14 years but preferred to go back and forth to and from the UK, mainly for business issues and Healthcare. There seems to be a general belief over here that healthcare in Spain is better than the UK, so my question is "Is it really"?

I am very familiar with the NHS and the systems in place so I need to be sure I can adapt to the Spanish system before I make the change. Comments from Brits over here who use the Spanish system would be really welcome -good and bad experiences. Practical day to day things like making GP appointments, getting repeat prescriptions, language issues are all really important to me.

Alternatively can anyone point me in the right direction to a good source of that kind of info. All contribtions and help welcome.


Thanks in advance.

I can only speak as I find. I hear lots of stuff, but some is only rumours so this is my personal experience.

The local health Centre is easy to use, they speak English and I can get a doctor's appointment in 1 or 2 days. The hospital is first class, almost like a private hospital.. they found I had a condition that the NHS never even checked for. I have been cured after 10 months of medication and feel great.

Repeat scripts are easy.. just take your SIP card to the chemist and they will give you what you need. I can contact my doctor on line so that is easy and makes getting repeats simple...

I have no experience of District Nurses so cannot comment on that. I hear.. (only hear) that the District Nursing system is not as comprehensive as the NHS, I don't know, but maybe others can say.

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Fantastic. Thank you so much. Keep em coming please.

Hi,
Been in Spain as resident for 16 years and always had great service from the healthcare.
As said before 1-2 days for doctor appointment and can be done online.
I've been treated for skin cancer for the last 10 years and very quick (4-6 weeks) from specialist appointments to operation. Excellent aftercare at the local Salud in La Siesta.

TBH I'm not convinced that as a whole the actual quality of care here is that much superior to the NHS however in terms of the time it takes to get it there is no doubt that it's a world apart.

Much can depend on where you actually live too.

If you live in or close to one of the brit concentrations then your chances of English being spokeen at your medical centre, and finding an English speaking doctor, are greater than if you live in a predominantly Spanish area.

An other glass half empty comment from a certain individual

No, a balanced view.

I had to wait one day to see doctor, then a whole 6 days to see a specialist and in hospital 3 days later. This was with a very minor ailment, on the last (3rd day) in hospital I was asked if I would like to stay in hospital for another night to collect blood test results in the morning or I could leave an pick them up the next day, The wards had only 2 beds in each of them with en suite, mine had a great view of the mountains. everywhere was very clean and you could have a relative stay in a chair with you if you wanted to, visiting was anytime day or night. It is a lot different here at the moment with this coronavirus. Have been here 14 years and been in normal public hospital twice. The only small downside is that the nurses here will only nurse, not wash or feed you so that is where the other person is expected to help. And many nurses do not speak English but most doctors do.

Health care he is brilliant. My husbdand had a heart attack earlier this month, fortunately we were already at the hospital for another appointment. He was whisked into Urgencia, seen immediately, ECG and blood tests done within 30 minutes. The upto ICU, stent fitted the next morning, 4 days in ICU, the 2 days in his own room at the hospital, discharged with prescription for meds. Follow up appointment with the cardiologist will happen once this chaos has stopped. I have been told by family and friends in the UK that he would probably be dead by now if this had happened in the UK.

For a acute problems the Spanish health system is incredible but, in my opinion, their approach to chronic issues is laissez faire.