| div id="body"> | | | | fortunate to have experienced excellent health whilst |
| The most important thing to appreciate about | | | | living here, we have been through A&E twice (a |
| Spanish health care is that it is not necessarily free to | | | | road accident and serious sudden illness) and our |
| you - just because you are an EU national. This is a | | | | daughter has been attended to by our local Spanish |
| common misconception. | | | | children's clinic. On each occasion we have been left |
| Spanish health care is 'free' only to those who are | | | | stunned by the quality and efficiency of the health |
| tax resident or properly registered pensionistas | | | | care provided. |
| (people over the age of 65). In either case, you must | | | | Indeed, access to a consultant doctor seems much |
| apply for your SIP (Sistema de Informacion | | | | better than it was in the UK and in our (perhaps |
| Poblacional) card. This is your individual Spanish health | | | | subjective) judgment state health care in Spain |
| card and is needed whenever you attend a Spanish | | | | seems better than that of the UK. This is a view |
| doctor or hospital. It is something that you can apply | | | | that has been expressed many times by local |
| for yourself or (more easily!) through the services of | | | | (Comunidad de Valencia) ex-patriot friends of ours |
| a gestor. | | | | who have, between them, suffered a full range of |
| Certainly, you should note that having a NIE number | | | | health problems in Spain - from minor to life |
| or having inscribed yourself on the Central Register | | | | threatening. |
| of Foreigners (Centro Register de Extranjeros) will | | | | Of course, Spain is an enormous country with 17 |
| not automatically provide you with free healthcare in | | | | different autonomous regions and two autonomous |
| Spain. To be tax resident is also not a 'negative' | | | | cities. It is therefore difficult to provide an accurate |
| function. You must either actually be paying tax to | | | | qualitative assessment beyond one's own experience. |
| the Spanish state or making an annual Spanish tax | | | | So, different areas may provide different levels of |
| return to be considered as tax resident. The mere | | | | excellence. However, it is safe to state that if you |
| fact that you are deemed to be tax resident after | | | | are thinking of moving to Spain then you can rely |
| 183 days within the country does not mean that you | | | | upon state Spanish healthcare for all your and your |
| are tax resident and thereby gain free healthcare in | | | | children's needs. |
| Spain - if you make no effort to pay any tax! | | | | One problem with Spanish health care is the language |
| Spanish health care from the State is generally | | | | barrier for anyone not reasonably fluent in Spanish. |
| considered very effective. There are some 800 | | | | Interpreters are not supplied in Spanish hospitals or |
| hospitals and 2,700 medical centres (Centros de | | | | Spanish clinics. This means that when you are feeling |
| Salud) thoughout the country with almost every | | | | most vulnerable you can encounter real difficulties in |
| village having a doctor (medico) who will attend his | | | | being understood - or understanding your attending |
| medical centre daily (even if it is just for a few hours | | | | doctor. Whilst some doctors in Spain do speak English |
| before he goes to the next village or district). | | | | this can never be taken for granted. |
| Normally a nurse (enfermera) will be in attendance | | | | In fact, usually, within areas of high density |
| and sometimes, as a patient, you can see your | | | | ex-patriots (such as along the Spanish coastline) |
| Spanish doctor the same day. | | | | there are interpreters available. If you tap into these |
| However, note that children under the age of | | | | communities, invariably someone knows of a person |
| fourteen must be treated in specific children's health | | | | who will interpret for you and attend an appointment |
| centres in Spain which are staffed by specialist | | | | with you (albeit normally for a fee). |
| paeditricians. These are normally located in the | | | | If you do not wish to use Spanish state health care |
| nearest town of any size. | | | | then you can take out private health insurance in |
| Meanwhile, there is a network of Spanish hospitals | | | | Spain to provide you with any necessary cover. All |
| with accident and emergency departments | | | | the major health care insurance companies have |
| (urgencias) throughout the country which operate in | | | | facilities available in Spain. There are also private |
| a very similar way to that of the UK. You are | | | | 'walk-in' clinics and hospitals in some of the towns. |
| normally seen by a member of the triage staff | | | | We used one of these (in Gandia) on one occasion |
| promptly and then treated as quickly as necessary | | | | and found it effective and the attention professional. |
| given your degree of injury. | | | | Of course, thankfully, life in Spain tends to be healthy. |
| My family have now lived in Spain for over six years | | | | The country has the longest longevity rates for |
| and we have relied upon the state for almost all our | | | | women in Europe and the second longest for men |
| Spanish health care needs. Whilst we have been | | | | (after Sweden). |