Spanish Health Service question

[cainaries]

We are registered at our local Spanish health centre. As UK pensioners we have Spanish Health Service health cards. About 3 years ago our GP took a temporary transfer and since then we have been seeing whichever doctor is available. OH is diabetic. This week he needed a repeat prescription but we saw (yet another) doctor we've never seen before who seemed to us totally incompetent. He completely changed OH's current treatment and behaved in an altogether very odd manner. He issued the first prescription, demanded it back and tore it up and did this twice more before we ended up with the final version. Local rumour has it that he's 'un poco loco' which is all very well but not when playing with people's health. A Spanish friend told us to ask for a 'medico fijo' but we're worried if we do that we'll end up with him as he's not popular and has very few patients. The only decent doctor we've seen is a locum so we can't register with him. OH asked me to come on here with this problem but I'm not quite sure what he wants me to ask you all? When I last asked at the desk if we could choose which doctor we saw the guy behind the desk told me I couldn't. Is this right?

[Jackie]

The doctor at our Medical Centre who we are registered with is the most miserable person I have ever met, everything seems too much of an effort for him, and even when I am trying my best to converse with him in Spanish he still refuses point blank to 'help me out'. I know for a fact that he speaks fluent English but even when I can't find the right words he still will not converse in English at all. There is another doctor at the centre who is brilliant and who I have seen on one occasion when my doctor was not there. Obviously by my name he knew that I was English and before I had even opened my mouth he said would you prefer to speak in Spanish or English. I asked at the reception if I could change doctors and they said yes but I would have to fill a form in. Unfortunately they didn't have any at the time and I have got to go back so I don't know what the process will be once the form is filled in but I would imagine it is the same in La Palma regarding changing your doctor.

[timmylish]

The doctor at our Medical Centre who we are registered with is the most miserable person I have ever met, everything seems too much of an effort for him, and even when I am trying my best to converse with him in Spanish he still refuses point blank to 'help me out'. I know for a fact that he speaks fluent English but even when I can't find the right words he still will not converse in English at all. There is another doctor at the centre who is brilliant and who I have seen on one occasion when my doctor was not there. Obviously by my name he knew that I was English and before I had even opened my mouth he said would you prefer to speak in Spanish or English. I asked at the reception if I could change doctors and they said yes but I would have to fill a form in. Unfortunately they didn't have any at the time and I have got to go back so I don't know what the process will be once the form is filled in but I would imagine it is the same in La Palma regarding changing your doctor.


Can I ask which Medical Centre you go to as I have an equally depressed sort of individual but I don,t think he speaks any English, but I don,t really know. Because of the very detailed medicines I am required to take (some of which require the Green special papers for Class B drugs) it would be extremely helpful if my Doctor spoke English. Sometimes its all very well speaking day to day Spanish but health issues are a different matter.

[Jackie]

Can I ask which Medical Centre you go to as I have an equally depressed sort of individual but I don,t think he speaks any English, but I don,t really know. Because of the very detailed medicines I am required to take (some of which require the Green special papers for Class B drugs) it would be extremely helpful if my Doctor spoke English. Sometimes its all very well speaking day to day Spanish but health issues are a different matter.

I use the Medical Centre in San Miguel. It's on the road going down to Las Chafiras near the San Miguel Police Station

[bonitatime]

You can change Dr and the health center cant force you to have a doctor you don't want. That said if the doctor you want's list us full they wont add you to it. This is probably a good time to change as a lot of mainlanders have gone home in the last couple of years.

[timmylish]

I use the Medical Centre in San Miguel. It's on the road going down to Las Chafiras near the San Miguel Police Station


Unfortunately, not mine. I,m on the San Isidro Centre so I,ll have to consider what to do! Thanks for answering anyway, Jackie.

[cainaries]

Unfortunately, not mine. I,m on the San Isidro Centre so I,ll have to consider what to do! Thanks for answering anyway, Jackie.

Might be the same miserable doctor though as I understand some are doing 'double shifts'. Thanks for the info, everyone, particularly that we can't choose a doctor but can refuse one. That's a start! I also discovered by accident the other day when logging on to check the time of our appointment that the name of the doctor we were going to see was given. It wasn't given when we made the appointment but is entered on the day. At least now we'll know which doctor we've got the appointment with. A local friend told me the problem is that there's no money. But that doesn't strike me as the only explanation.

And, Timmylish, I agree about the language. OH is fluent in Spanish but understanding drastic changes to his treatment - which could lead to coma, etc., and WHY this man insisted on changing it, that's the problem. Also, of course, if the computer decides you've got enough medicine, you can't get any more and they don't seem to be able to over-ride it. So, don't lose anything important.

[Jackie]

Might be the same miserable doctor though as I understand some are doing 'double shifts'. Thanks for the info, everyone, particularly that we can't choose a doctor but can refuse one. That's a start! I also discovered by accident the other day when logging on to check the time of our appointment that the name of the doctor we were going to see was given. It wasn't given when we made the appointment but is entered on the day. At least now we'll know which doctor we've got the appointment with. A local friend told me the problem is that there's no money. But that doesn't strike me as the only explanation.

And, Timmylish, I agree about the language. OH is fluent in Spanish but understanding drastic changes to his treatment - which could lead to coma, etc., and WHY this man insisted on changing it, that's the problem. Also, of course, if the computer decides you've got enough medicine, you can't get any more and they don't seem to be able to over-ride it. So, don't lose anything important.


It could well be. My son went to him at the Medical Centre as he had a in growing toe nail, he gave him an appointment for the Saturday at his Private Chiropody Clinic in San Isidro as apparently this is what he originally trained as and still practices

[Goldenmaniac]

We are registered at our local Spanish health centre. As UK pensioners we have Spanish Health Service health cards. About 3 years ago our GP took a temporary transfer and since then we have been seeing whichever doctor is available. OH is diabetic. This week he needed a repeat prescription but we saw (yet another) doctor we've never seen before who seemed to us totally incompetent. He completely changed OH's current treatment and behaved in an altogether very odd manner. He issued the first prescription, demanded it back and tore it up and did this twice more before we ended up with the final version. Local rumour has it that he's 'un poco loco' which is all very well but not when playing with people's health. A Spanish friend told us to ask for a 'medico fijo' but we're worried if we do that we'll end up with him as he's not popular and has very few patients. The only decent doctor we've seen is a locum so we can't register with him. OH asked me to come on here with this problem but I'm not quite sure what he wants me to ask you all? When I last asked at the desk if we could choose which doctor we saw the guy behind the desk told me I couldn't. Is this right?

You can change your registered doctor within your own practice, or in some circumstances within your own (county) Ayuntamiento, but you can't arbitrarily see one doctor if you are registered with another.

This sounds very serious, and should be reported I would say. The receptionist MUST provide you with an hoja de reclamación - complaint form - and you should register your bad experience. Regards the change in meds, who is ultimately controlling your OH's case is he on insulin or controlling the diabetes with diet etc? - does he see a specialist for regular check - ups? I would go to them if at all possible - especially if its at Mojon, wait to speak to the specialist's nurse and explain that a GP has changed the "cocktail" and that you are worried - they will either say that's fine or see you immediately if its wrong.

[cainaries]

You can change your registered doctor within your own practice, or in some circumstances within your own (county) Ayuntamiento, but you can't arbitrarily see one doctor if you are registered with another.

This sounds very serious, and should be reported I would say. The receptionist MUST provide you with an hoja de reclamación - complaint form - and you should register your bad experience. Regards the change in meds, who is ultimately controlling your OH's case is he on insulin or controlling the diabetes with diet etc? - does he see a specialist for regular check - ups? I would go to them if at all possible - especially if its at Mojon, wait to speak to the specialist's nurse and explain that a GP has changed the "cocktail" and that you are worried - they will either say that's fine or see you immediately if its wrong.

Thanks, goldenmaniac. We've already taken out one denuncia against a Health Centre a few years ago and are very reluctant to do it again in case, as I know can happen in the UK, we get booted out altogether as troublemakers. We're not actually on Tenerife but La Palma but this shouldn't make any difference as the health service here is managed from Tenerife. Our specialist nurse .. who is very helpful ... is on holiday for at least a month ... otherwise I don't think we would be in this mess. We haven't got a registered doctor because ours transferred (to Tenerife, but this isn't relevant!) and has not yet been replaced. We've been promised we will be re-allocated several times but nothing has happened. This is true for all that doctor's patients, not just us. Can we ask to be referred to a specialist? That would be a good idea, I think. OH has an appointment at the hospital with the nephrologist in a couple of weeks so perhaps we can ask her for some advice on how to proceed as well.

Just went online to make OH an appointment and the first available date is 2nd January 2012. Amazing.

[Goldenmaniac]

That often happens when you are suffering with a Locum situation, it doesn't mean you can't get an appointment before then it just means the on-line system can't cope with it, ring up or pop in to the receptionist. Regards the specialist - you can not demand an appointment because ultimately the GP assesses whether you need to go or not, but the Nephrologist should be able to refer you internally specialist to specialist so that may well be the way to go.