Doctor's appointment-can anyone else help?

TonTri wrote:

GLASSMAN wrote:if you,d a paid to see Dr Ballester near the arches when I suggested ,you,d have been sorted now!,its only€40 plus prescriptions which you,d would have had to pay anyway, what price is health!

I'm sorry but that isn't helpful. What if he needs blood test, a chest x-ray? It will end up a lot more than €40. Besides which we are supposed to have reciprocal health care, so surely a doctor's appointment isn't too much to ask.

Tontri - although you may not think the post was 'helpful', GLASSMAN isn't wrong. If your husband was in pain and needed a doctor, then the suggestion of paying for an appointment was a good one.

You'll also recall that my earlier post suggested you would be best to take an interpreter with you.

I hope things get better, but you need to understand that not everything in Spain comes easily.

I hope you are sorted now but when I became ill I went to the vega baja hospital with my ehic card and passport and they were brilliant. It is not like the uk emergency units see everything here. ,

Blingle, I appreciate what you're saying and if he was in pain we may have thought about private although I don't see why we should not be able to sort even that with our EHIC cards, that's what they are for. If you remember the reason we went to Lo Marabu was because I was led to believe the receptionists spoke English, which they did after a fashion. Just obviously not well enough to understand what I was asking for.

Still you live and learn, we will try Rojales next week but for them I think I will need an interpreter.

DJW, that's handy to know thank you. If we don't have any joy with Rojales Health Centre next week, we will try the hospital next. Especially useful to know they aren't like UK A&E departments.

Dr Ballester will send you for blood tests etc if needed,

If the doctor sent you for blood tests etc., could you then invoke your insurance?

In the worst case, could you fly back to the UK for treatment? I've known others do that...just as I've known people in the UK flying out to Spain for treatment (dental).

I guess you live and learn. Many posts on all forums are contradictory...you can't take members posts as "gospel".

And as someone else has said earlier..."what price is health"?

I entirely agree with what Shiva has told you about your EHIC card. As visitor from the UK you should not need to enroll on the padron or obtain a SIP card to obtain medical treatment. There is an article in a local paper this week which is talking about passing a law in the UK to maintain the medical arrangements with the EU after Brexit. I will quote this statement from the article for you :- " EHIC grants UK nationals access to free healthcare abroad and pays for 250,000 medical treatments each year". It does not state that it is only for emergency use. Another statement by Lord James O'Shaughnessy said " Whether on holiday, working or retiring abroad, British people want to know they can access the same high quality healthcare that they can enjoy in the NHS". I think that this is rather telling, the same healthcare.
In other words if you need to make an appointment with a doctor to obtain a prescription or any other treatment when you are abroad you should be able to with your EHIC card and your passport. You could go to the Rojales medical centre today as they are open during the weekend, even if it is just to obtain a prescription for some antibiotics. I would suggest that you go back to the Quesada medical centre on Monday, with your EHIC card and husband's passport,and say your are a visitor from the UK and you require a doctor's appointment for you husband who is rather sick. Most of the receptionists should understand you without an interpreter. Ask if you can have an appointment with a doctor who speaks English as there are at least two. If you still have problems, I suggest you ring the British consulate in Alicante. Good luck !

JohnES that article mirrors exactly what I thought the EHIC card entitled us to. I agree we shouldn't need to sign on the padron or even go private, so I think what Shiva said about the receptionist misunderstanding me makes sense. I will do as you suggest and go back to Lo Marabu on Monday and ask for an English-speaking doctor. This time I won't give her our NIE's, just passport and EHIC card.

Thank you for your post.

When I needed some antibiotics I just went into Benijofer chemist asked for some they gave me a weeks course and it only cost me €4.20 which I thought that was very good

chelflady - I think the comment about antibiotics from JohnES was just an example - without a diagnosis, you shouldn't just presume antibiotics would be the solution!

Still not understanding the "resistance" to just getting an interpreter to go along - if I were ill in a foreign country, I'd want to ensure every detail was clearly described - but each to their own!