Heurcal overa Hospital

[bazhowie]

Has anyone found that their medical card has been blocked and full payment required for drugs. the suggestion from a solicitor was to apply to Newcastle for an S1 form and start the application process again.  This could be only for non pensioners or those who have not taken up residency or are considered non-tax residents.

[cantabrian]

There are quite a few posts on here that says it all !!

[fidgetmidget]

Manners don't cost anything and whether you are having a bad day or not, whether you hate the Brits or not, you are in a profession where care and consideration are a must.  There is no need at all to be rude or abusive, have a bloody good rant after the event not a the patient.  I was at Almeria hospital recently with an appointment, still waited over 3 hours to see the specialist was passed from pillar to post and I was PAYING for the treatment, so its just the way things are over here.
When attending aftercare in Orihuela, the doctors and nurses were superb, the receptionist however, was a little hitler.  The physio was a young girl who only bothered to show up twice a week at her 5 day a week job, spent most of her time smoking out the back, doing her nails or talking to her mates on her iphone.  When I asked her if the clinic only opened twice a week, her response was, no all week but we can't be bothered, its a boring job and our contract say we cannot be fired, so if the government are stupid enough to pay us when we don't turn up and can't fire us then I am happy to take the money and do as little as possible, yes I thought the answer was incredible as well. She explained that the same rule applies to all government workers, teachers, medical staff etc etc which is why everything in Spain takes so long to be done....I can now see that!
FM

[zilnor]

I agree with the comments that emergency care is first class here, but the follow up is not as good as the UK. I spent three months in Burton on Trent this summer, registered with a local GP and he sent me for scans and X-rays which were all done within six weeks. He told me that I should have had these in Spain, after hospitalisation and surgery due to  a road   accident. I had two follow up appointments with the surgeon, and one x-ray. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient the local services were in Burton, and not as bad as some would have us believe.  But as a friend says. the NHS is a lottery,in  some areas the service is better than others. But you could say the same for Spain. :wave

[Tetley]

I  think on a genral point ,as most of us old hands know,things are done very diffrently here,my freind applyed a gov grant to open a shop after he was told his un emplyment benifit would be stopped (family of 4 ),he was promised the grant for 5k,leased a shop,ordered stock,and 4 weeks befor he was due to open..... no money... but the grant was fully ok,d by the gov, then told to get a bank loan till the grant came through,asked how long for the grant reply.... crisis.....went for a loan.... no loan.... asked why.... crisis.

basikly its a level playing feild here,all nationalitys get there heads done in "with it all "inc the local folks.

i took an ex milatery pensioner freind to Almeria to renew his id card,we waited 4 hours,got to the desk,and some witch bxllocked him because he had filled out the inncorect paper and tried to send him to the back of the que,till he gave her i bigger bxllacking  (GC  style )then she sorted it within 3 mins.

another Brit pensioner i know was at deaths door in HO  with no family and she was very well cared for by the staff,made a full recovery and went back to uk.

i think if anybody is rude, ( any nationality )they should be pulled at the pont of rudness otherwise they become like a naughty child and a right pain to most they come into contact with.
(providing the worth correcting of coarse as some people do go through life like this and are somtimes best left in there own world as a lottery win wouldent even help them )

i think another point to note ,is that probably  a lot of the medical staff here learnt English,but carnt use it incase they mis diagnosed or mis interpret somthing.

[Rod]

"question is, where will they find the money to hire and pay someone".

Don´t think this would be necessary. There are plenty of staff who do speak English it is a matter of pointing the ones who need it to the right doctor if possible.
When I was waiting outside the operating theatre to have my operation one of the staff came up to me and asked me a question which I was unable to understand. He then went and got an English speaker, only took a minute, who ensured everything was OK by me for the op, no problem.

[Albondigas]

Rex, glad everything's ok now

I really think it depends on the person

When you're in an emergency situation, your Spanish tends to disappear - I know mine did anyway when I had to go to HO hospital for an emergency

The doctors couldn't have been nicer or more helpful and most of the nurses were wonderful - except one woman, who was truly a nasty piece of work. 

I ended up having a Spanish friend (who is VERY assertive) come in to help me out and things changed for the better.

I would say in general that the emergency/primary care here in Spain is on a par with the UK  - however the follow up and aftercare is not as good.

Medical treatment in Spain is rated internationally as far better than the UK, mainly because the Spanish health budget is dirested to providing "Medical" care only.  All other needs are expected to be provided for by the patients family.

Your last sentence is a common misconception that some of the nurses in Spain like to spread - this is according to my Spanish friend (who has spent a lot of time in hospitals because of her daughter)

You are entitled to full care by the nurses, just as you are in the UK

Perhaps it was true a decade or so back, but now with the family unit breaking down there are plenty of people who don't have relatives nearby to come in and care for them


As to quality of care, well you can only go on your own personal experience - after my op in Spain, the after care was not good - negligent is the word actually.  The surgeon tore strips off the registrar (in front of me) over the fact that she had made a serious mistake over my follow up meds to clear up the remaining (and very serious) infection.  His rant was met with a shrug of the shoulders! My friend knew of this woman and apparently it is well known at the hospital that she regular makes serious f*** ups on a regular basis, but there is still a culture of "job for life" and few are willing to whistle blow - I'm sure this is gradually changing but it will take time in areas like Almeria.


Actually Huercal Overa hospital had an excellent rep a few years back - but the staff grew unhappy at the mismanagement and requested transfer. The hospital now has problems recruiting and retaining quality staff- I was told this by someone who works there in admin.

[Trucker]

I will agree with you Clare, but the financial position Spain is in at the moment has not always been bad, they still ignored the rules they signed up too, in many fields, I may be wrong but does not Spain get payments for the expats over here from Britain...as part of the European Union agreements?

[Queen Clare Shirley]

question is, where will they find the money to hire and pay someone. The medical staff were on strike  in H.O today regarding cutbacks and other matters. However much the EU says this and that, there is no money to pay for such items. Spain is in a bad way, they have cut back on medicine available on prescriptions, increasing the amount we have to pay towards it so where are they going to get the money for translators when they cant afford the staff they have now.
Waiting lists have tripled because they havent got the staff to cope with the demand. Its a sign of the times.

[Saffi]

Why do people always go to extremes in their replies?  If you cannot speak spanish well enough then simply be polite to the medical staff instead of aggressive and demanding as so many people seem to think it is ok to be......  not everyone is like this but there is no excuse - as for me, sorry, but I think hospital budgets should be spent on medical care in any country in the world......

THe medical system is different here, I have had good and bad experiences at Huercal Overa and think emergency care is excellent and the follow up from that but GP services and straight forward out patient services are not so good....

[Trucker]

In reference to the speaking Spanish, if you happen to have the luck or whatever it is to learn a different language when you getting on a bit then well done, but for a lot of us it just will not go in, as hard as we try, I know of people been learning Spanish for 9 years but even though they can speak everyday Spanish very well when it comes to technical Spanish they are the same as the rest of us...useless..
What I am trying to say is when you go into HO Hospital there are signs posted all over the place stating among other things it is their obligation to provide a person for you to speak to in your native tongue...not everyone can afford to have a translator, not everyone is on pensions, I know some have stated about we are not in England, no, we are in Europe, what makes Spain that different they can ignore the rules of being in the European Union but not abide to the rules...and not just in the health service here..they soon admit to being in the European Union when it comes to the handouts...seems they want every thing in their favour..and although a lot of people have had good experience at the HO hospital some have not...some have been horrendous..

[rex]

English is not my first language my wife is english i wont need interpreter wont be here that long
We all cant so well educated or so rude.

[Titch]

Don't knock the NHS.  It isn't bad everywhere.  The oncology consultants here in UK do discuss treatments with the patient and give you (the patient) choices which is more than I was given in HO, even with an interpreter.  Also here in UK you have access to Cancer Nurses to discuss how best to manage side effects of the treatment.  Medical services are stretched in both countries but I can't fault my treatment since my return to UK.

I will say that there is no excuse for anyone to curse the Spanish who don't speak English, or in fact curse anyone.  Life is much more pleasant if more respect is being demonstrated.

You can't learn much Spanish in a few hours a week. You have to work at it every day, especially if you don't have another foreign language under your belt. It is also more difficult to learn another foreign language without a good grasp of English grammar. There are some good computer programmes which aren't too boring. However, you will probably need an interpreter for hospital appointments for a few years.

Titch

[rex]

I certainly wasnt rude to any of the staff,repeat i do speak some spanish theirs good and bad people
Off all nationalities there does seem to be a bit of a downer of english people on the forum.

[Saffi]

If you are not satisfied with any aspect of your care then go to the social worker´s office and ask for a complaint form.  She is very helpful and handles several complaints every month mostly from spanish nationals (well over 10 pcm) and the hospital will reply within a short time span in writing.  If the same problem or diffficult staff member is reported several times then the Patient Services Director will take action about it so that things improve for everyone.  But if she is not aware of the issue then she cannot do anything about it....., making a complaint sounds very formal but it seems to be more a case of reporting dissatisfaction or suggesting improvements rather than a formal complaint.  

I too have seen far too many rude english people treat spanish speaking staff like dirt and yelled at them that its a stupid country as they don´t speak english.........how disgusting is it etc etc...... I just want to disappear at times like this....

[AndrewBayley]

Rex, glad everything's ok now

I really think it depends on the person

When you're in an emergency situation, your Spanish tends to disappear - I know mine did anyway when I had to go to HO hospital for an emergency

The doctors couldn't have been nicer or more helpful and most of the nurses were wonderful - except one woman, who was truly a nasty piece of work. 

I ended up having a Spanish friend (who is VERY assertive) come in to help me out and things changed for the better.

I would say in general that the emergency/primary care here in Spain is on a par with the UK  - however the follow up and aftercare is not as good.

Medical treatment in Spain is rated internationally as far better than the UK, mainly because the Spanish health budget is dirested to providing "Medical" care only.  All other needs are expected to be provided for by the patients family.

[Albondigas]

Rex, glad everything's ok now

I really think it depends on the person

When you're in an emergency situation, your Spanish tends to disappear - I know mine did anyway when I had to go to HO hospital for an emergency

The doctors couldn't have been nicer or more helpful and most of the nurses were wonderful - except one woman, who was truly a nasty piece of work. 

I ended up having a Spanish friend (who is VERY assertive) come in to help me out and things changed for the better.

I would say in general that the emergency/primary care here in Spain is on a par with the UK  - however the follow up and aftercare is not as good.

[rex]

As stated in my post , my wife did receive execellent care at Heurcal Overa Hospital.

The nurses were execellent could not do enough for us , the point i was making about one doctor being very rude and insulting,
What i was asking in my post has anybody experienced anything similar.

As it was a emergency we did not have enough time to contact a translator, my wife was in agony.
In a emergency it is vital to get there as soon as possible.

I do speak a bit of Spanish, but felt the Doctor`s attitude was apalling.

I would just like to repeat the treatment she had was excellent, just in case anybody thinks thats what i was complaining about.

[Albondigas]

I was not going to rise to the bait cantabriadn, but i feel I must.
You are not in UK - more´s the pity!
One of the reasons why they have an excelent hospital here is because they spend their cash on providing a medical service - not a translation service.
I´m sorry cantabrian if you can´t afford to spend a few euros on an interpreter to help you with your medical problems.
I suggest a quick return to the UK is in order where you will be readily served by what is left of the NHS free of charge....

YEH, well buy my house,!! THEN i can make a quick return,AND the UK IS superior to this backward country!! That is why so many nations turn up there (PITY!!)

Right Mr Shouty, pm me with details of your house, location etc, and what you want to sell it for and I will do my best to find you SERIOUS buyers

[cantabrian]

I was not going to rise to the bait cantabriadn, but i feel I must.
You are not in UK - more´s the pity!
One of the reasons why they have an excelent hospital here is because they spend their cash on providing a medical service - not a translation service.
I´m sorry cantabrian if you can´t afford to spend a few euros on an interpreter to help you with your medical problems.
I suggest a quick return to the UK is in order where you will be readily served by what is left of the NHS free of charge....

YEH, well buy my house,!! THEN i can make a quick return,AND the UK IS superior to this backward country!! That is why so many nations turn up there (PITY!!)

[byrney]

I was not going to rise to the bait cantabriadn, but i feel I must.
You are not in UK - more´s the pity!
One of the reasons why they have an excelent hospital here is because they spend their cash on providing a medical service - not a translation service.
I´m sorry cantabrian if you can´t afford to spend a few euros on an interpreter to help you with your medical problems.
I suggest a quick return to the UK is in order where you will be readily served by what is left of the NHS free of charge....

[byrney]

Apparently, HO is used as a stepping-stone for young Doctors who are going on to better things in Madrid or one of the other big cities.
Presumably the old gruff and rude ones who are still there, have not made it to the big-time - probably because they are gruff and rude - unless its to act as a balance to the gruff and rude ex-pats who go there !!

[cantabrian]

Like i have mentioned before there are more than a few HERE that want it to become a little britain !! As for the interpreter bit ,YEH, it is ok if one has the money to pay for the service, (in the UK you can turn up with the most obscure language and they will find someone ) OK many posters say you should not be here if you can,t pay the piper ! but some of you are out of touch if you are not on a lowly state pension, of course each to their own!

[Janad20]

Unfortunately, yes he is still there and yes, he is still gruff and rude, but he is the only member of staff at the hospital that I have come across that adopts that attitude. The rest are truely angels and the quality of service is nothing short of excellent.

[fergie]

My experience of the Spanish health service and in particular the Huercal Overa hospital has been first class with one very notable exception, Dr Jorge Grau Civit. On an appontment to review my prostate biopsy, without any introduction and any explanation he very gruffly asked, well, what is it you want, radiotherapy or the operation, I thought my translator was going to have a fit! This was several years ago, hopefully he is not there anymore.

[musicdonna]

I had to chuckle at Lorraine´s comment about a Spanish nurse´s attitude "letting her country down big time".  How many of us have cringed at the all-too frequent outbursts of ex-pat Brits who seem to think Spain´s ripe for colonisation?!  In my experience it´s not the Spanish who are letting their country down big time...!

Donna

[zilnor]

My life was saved by medical staff at Granada hospital in January of this year, after severe  injuries received in a road traffic accident. I was flown there from H Ov as they could not do the surgery there. The surgeon waited for my husband to arrive. She wanted him to see me before I went in to theatre, as she was concerned I might not make it. He said she was so kind and calm, and  it helped relieve an extremely traumatic situation.The care  given was superb and I only encountered one stroppy nurse. I thought it was because I was English, but the Spanish lady in the bed next to me said this nurse was " a miserable cow" !! I speak a reasonable amount of Spanish and that helps. I had to see a consultant at H Overa for a follow up, and although I took an interpreter with me and attempted to speak in Spanish, he said " It is easier for us both if I speak in English".  Good man ! But I have heard a couple of stories where doctors have said " It is not for me to speak English, it is for you to speak Spanish".
And the comments about a small minority of Brits getting stroppy with medical staff is true. I have heard this on a couple of occasions. One time this man was shouting louder and louder at a receptionist. I said to him " shouting louder won´t make them understand. This is Spain and the language is Spanish". He said two words to me , the second one was "off". My husband said to him that he was the type of Brit who gave the rest of us a bad name. Fortunately, his wife dragged him off to calm down.
The comments about taking an interpreter with you are so true, and it is worth every penny.
Yes, the hospitals here are spotless, you could eat your dinner  off the floor.
Best wishes to all who are ill, injured or not feeling well. :wave

[byrney]

Clare, you are absolutely right.
Some people think that, as foreigners, they should be given the same rights and benefits that foreigners are given in UK.
And, they always try to fall back on some EU legislation.
1. They are not in soft-touch UK anymore.
2. Rightly or wrongly Spain does not bow down and touch their forelocks to Brussels at every opportunity.
Speaking Spanish must be a godsend to you and your family and well done for taking the time and having the ability to do so.
I have limited Spanish but can get by with most things - bureaucracy, police, and medical being exceptions due to the technical nature of the language used.
For those occasions I will gladly pay for the use of an interpreter.

[Queen Clare Shirley]

I've had nothing but the best care from the hospital and the health centre, they saved my baby and looked after my eldest who has had two ops before she was 8. Now I agree I speak fluently and this is a lifesaver.

But I can see how a few can ruin a good thing

Two cases I've seen in the last 10 years.

Huercal Overa hospital a few years, shouting heard in a doctors office, man and lady came out effing and blinding (not youngsters either) "Sodding country not a word of English, disgusting" he fumed. We went in next, I smiled sat down, First thing the exasperated doctor said, "Please tell you can speak Spanish" " yep" "thank god". He had warned the patient that he should bring a translator because his  level of English was not adequate to portray the news and advice, the man refused and came without one. The doctor tried his best but the man didn't understand him, so he gave him the info in Spanish and his medications and said times up, he had been in there trying for 45 minutes and he had a waiting room full

Second case

In Albox medical centre, waiting to book an appointment , English man screaming and shouting obscenities at the receptionist, I stepped in and asked could I help? (bad mistake) He starts shouting at me, I sort it out, find out what he needs to do and he is sorted, The Man walks out without a thank you and a goodbye. How rude. The receptionist was now in a bad mood because of this, although she was nice to me, Upside is I now have made many friends in the Health centre, downside is these few incidences are never forgotten and sometimes can produce animosity and sometimes down right rudeness because of something a small minded person has done.

Also we need to remember Emergency doctors will have been on shift for a while and be tired and grumpy and sometimes we bear the brunt of it.

Im sorry to hear what happened and hope your wife gets better

[byrney]

In seven years here I have had to use the services of HO hospital on a number of occasions for a variety of reasons.
This culminated in me being critically ill at the start of this year when I spent 15 days on life support, a further week in ICU, and another week on the general ward.
Being literally at death´s door three times during my stay I am living testimony to the superb health care provided at HO hospital.
The Doctors, nurses, and general staff were superb.
When I was finally compus mentus, having little Spanish, I communicated extremely well using pigeon Spanish, their pigeon (sometims perfect) English, and basic sign language.
They were fantastic with my wife who, as you can imagine, was at times quite distressed.
For my wife´s daily visit to the Consultant she paid for an interpreter.
At less than a tenner a day it was well worth it to get the proper story rather than losing half of it due to lack of understanding of medical terminology.
Peope - please stop whingeing about having to get and pay for your own interpreter - either that, or learn Spanish - to a very high level to understand the medical stuff.
Why the hell should the Spanish pay for an interpreter for us?  Yes, I know they do in England - but then, perhaps they ought to be spending the cash on the actual medical care????
The cleanliness at the hospital is second to none and the wards and public areas are being constantly cleaned.
Having spent the best part of 30 years waiting and being treated in the miserable hospitals in and around Manchester I know where I would rather be treated!
By the way, that is not a criticism of the many dedicated and hard working professionals in the UK, but a damning insight into years and years of mismanagement and wrong priorities by successive Governments (of all persuasions).
So, I want to give a public thank you to everyone at HO for literally saving my life.

[Rod]

Same posters all over the hospitals and health centres here, saying it is an EU right to be spoken to in your own language. Pie in the sky I know but it is on the EU directive posters.
Personally I am lucky as my wife speaks good Spanish but not totally fluent. We have had to go through many procedures at Huercal Overa hospital, from TB, cataracts, hernia operation, emergencies helping friends as well as for ourselves etc.etc. and have never found a problem with the Doctors who often just speak English to you anyway.

[Albondigas]

I was so sorry to read of your wife´s accident, and I´m glad she received prompt medical treatment at HO hospital, as indeed I did when I broke my wrist in July.  However, if a Spanish national had had a similar accident in the UK, I wonder how many hospitals would have medical staff to address him/her in Spanish? 

Donna

Not sure, but I think that they get translators in free of charge - there's posters all over my local hospital in the UK

Maybe it only applies if you're from Pakistan?

[cgmaywood]

I was rushed into HO Hospital early hours of Sunday morning.,  The ambulance staff were fantastic and spoke to me and my husband in both Spanish and English and when I got into hospital they did the same.

We think the doctor was Ukraine and she was excellent.

I was having a massive asthma attack and was very scared but within no time at all they had me sorted.

I cannot praise all the staff enough for helping me out.

We normally take a translator with us when we attend the hospital for routine appointments but managed to get by on this occasion without her.

I am sorry to hear that some of you have not had such a good experience with the hospital but we have never had any problems although our level of Spanish is quite good and we always try to use it.

Chrissy

[Elle Sid]

.we have quite a few spanish friends found them to be ok also in the cafe ,bars in H overa very
Welcoming anybody else experienced anti English or could it be an isolated incident.

Of course the Spanish in bars and cafes are friendly. You are spending money there and they value your custom as it supports their businesses.

On the other hand I have sometimes noticed hostility/indifference towards Brits from people whose livelihood does not depend on us eg government officials, police etc. Health professionals are likely to fall into the same category.

[Tetley]

maybee the Doc was just having a bad day,the last time i was in AE with a family member they were very helpfull,but there were two eastern EU folks in there whom were smashed off there faces on coke making a scene and realy xxxxxxx everybody off.

i also was in a co of 2 men in green a couple of years ago,and they were fuming abought how spain had become the dustbin of the EU for all the EU  waywards,they didnt include the brits in this,but they seid it was time for spain to get ride of the rubbish ,so possible attitudes could be hardening after long stressfull shifts.

ive been here a wile and the only clever get ive encounted is the car parts bloke at Lorca,but that was soon sorted as i told him to stick the part were the sun dont shine,wich seems to work internationaly were needed  :)