I´ve been out of action for a couple of weeks alter breaking my jaw. Having reached the age of 41 without breaking a single bone in my body, I managed to visit 4 hospitals within a 24 hour period, so I am now the resident expert on the Spanish healthcare system!

I was initially taken by ambulance to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella, where (apparently!….I was unconscious for most of the time) I was looked after very well, and the various procedures and treatments were explained to my partner via an English translator.

I was then transferred to the Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga, a bumpy 50 minute drive in the back of an old knackered ambulance. I didn´t stay too long at the Carlos Haya as the staff there preferred to transfer me (again!) to the nearby Civil Hospital in Malaga where a specialist in Maxillo-Facial surgery is apparently in residence.

I was given my own room with a tv and en-suite facilities…it even had a spare bed, but was told that the specialist wouldn´t be able to see me for at least another 36 hours (this was now a Saturday evening). I wasn´t really in the best of shape, covered in bruises and scratches, jaw broken to pieces and missing my front teeth. I managed to get some sleep on the Saturday night, but swiftly decided to check out on the Sunday morning when I was offered a piece of cake and a sandwich for breakfast (!!), one of the nurses started ranting at my partner for his poor knowledge of the Spanish language, and then to top it all, they decided to move another patient into the same room…..along with an entourage of about 20 members of his family.

No way, Jose!

So I ended up going to the USP Hospital in Marbella (I am a member of Sanitas, so receive subsidised private heathcare). Within half an hour, I had been seen by a doctor, x-rayed and been given advice to be able to treat the injury at home. When I returned to the hospital 48 hours later, I saw a specialist who advised that I would need surgery that same evening, until his colleague advised that he would be able to treat the broken jaw with an elasticated brace and physiotherapy.

What an ordeal! Anyway, I now feel in very safe hands and am well on the road to recovery. I´m still on a soft diet but at least I have new teeth! And while I´ve been very fortunate with the timing and have been able to watch every single World Cup game on the tv during my recuperation, I am wary that I may be the only person to have broken his jaw and likely to end up fatter than he started! I blame M&S mashed potato and chocolate mousses!

There are many layers of healthcare for the non-resident in Spain. Firstly, as residents of an EU country, you would be entitled to free emergency healthcare in Spain, but if you are likely to be staying in Spain for more than a couple of weeks, there are plenty of other paid options available to you.

Firstly, there are a number of English speaking doctors in Spain, with typical charges of around 50 euros for a consultation.

Another useful service for those people on the Costa del Sol is the Helicopteros Sanitarios, otherwise known as the Flying Doctors. For an annual fee of around 200 euros (there are also special deals for couples and families), the company promises to dispatch an ambulance or helicopter to you, equipped with the very latest equipment and manned by English speaking doctors in order to adminster the first treatment and if necessary to transport you to the nearest hospital. Continue reading »

Pharmacies in Spain are great. When I first landed here on the Costa del Sol 8 years ago, I was amazed to find that the local pharmacists in Marbella would dispense a month´s worth of my beta-blockers over the counter without prescription. Even now, I´m still buying over the counter, and paying around 3 euros for the privilege. Imagine that in the UK?!

My friends were equally impressed. In fact, in the event of us having any aches, pains or sniffles, we would simply pop along to the pharmacy, ask for a solution, and “hey presto!” we were feeling great again in no time. Who needed doctors?

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