Health insurance for a UK moving to Spain - Page 2

tebo53 wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 3:50pm:

I went to the doctors recently and got organised a chest x-ray, ECG, and blood tests, along with results, all within 3 days!

It would have been weeks to have all that done with the UK NHS.....

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Steve 

Kimmy11 wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 4:18pm:

Hi Steve,

Before leaving the UK almost 8 years ago, I would have to wait 3 weeks just to get a GP's appointment.  My Dad, 95 years old and diagnosed with suspected pancreatic cancer the week before Christmas, and his 80 year old wife, who has terminal bowel cancer, haven't been able to get a face-to-f...

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...ace appointment with their GP for over 3 years.

Last week, my neighbour's 64 year old friend had a stroke at home.  His wife guessed what had happened and took him straight to Torrevieja A&E.  He was seen by a triage nurse, who confirmed that he'd had an ischaemic stroke, and asked them to sit in the waiting room.  Almost 4 hours later, still waiting to see a doctor, he had a further stroke and died in the waiting area.  If only he'd been given an aspirin. 

You may be lucky living in Benidorm, but I think this shows that there's an element of lottery when accessing State healthcare, even in Spain.

Kind regards,

Kim

Kimmy11 wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 4:18pm:

Hi Steve,

Before leaving the UK almost 8 years ago, I would have to wait 3 weeks just to get a GP's appointment.  My Dad, 95 years old and diagnosed with suspected pancreatic cancer the week before Christmas, and his 80 year old wife, who has terminal bowel cancer, haven't been able to get a face-to-f...

Read more...

...ace appointment with their GP for over 3 years.

Last week, my neighbour's 64 year old friend had a stroke at home.  His wife guessed what had happened and took him straight to Torrevieja A&E.  He was seen by a triage nurse, who confirmed that he'd had an ischaemic stroke, and asked them to sit in the waiting room.  Almost 4 hours later, still waiting to see a doctor, he had a further stroke and died in the waiting area.  If only he'd been given an aspirin. 

You may be lucky living in Benidorm, but I think this shows that there's an element of lottery when accessing State healthcare, even in Spain.

Kind regards,

Kim

BruceK wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 4:36pm:

hard to say what the medical outcome would have been, with an aspirin or active treatment. It makes people feel better to have blame, but thats not always best placed 

Kimmy11 wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 5:58pm:

I prefer the advice of my friend, a GP, who told me, after my mother-in-law had a stroke, "Give her an Aspirin - if she hasn't had a stroke, you will do no harm, but if she has, you could save her life".

BruceK wrote on Sun Feb 4, 2024 9:25pm:

I'm not saying it wouldn't have helped, but having spent many years in hospitals developing tests, sometimes the outcome is just the outcome. Doesn't make people feel better and maybe the aspirin would have helped, but to be so sure an aspirin would have been the answer and the staff on shift wer...

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...e the cause ( you didnt say that but did share "if only he'd been given an aspirin". It could have helped or eliminated once source to focus grief on. Either way i have found the Spanish heath care to be superior of most of the northern EU health care systems, but none is perfect.