# English speaking doctors



## Tammydog (Mar 7, 2015)

hi can anyone tell me which would a good area to live for British speaking doctors and hospitals. As with several visits needed per year it could be very expensive for translators every time. We were considering Alicante or Murcia areas. But do not have to commit to these places. Also would quite like to go about 20 minutes inland if possible. But also need a flat easy walking area as well.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

You probably need to be in a tourist area, Benidorm for example.
The nearest hospital to the Urbanisation I live on , which has mainly British expats, 
is an hour away, and very few speak English. They will not see you unless you speak Spanish fluently, or have an interpreter..
We do have a medical centre with two doctors, one speaks English, one doesn't.
As it takes a long time to be fluent enough to talk to doctors without misunderstanding, you'll need to use the services of an interpreter.


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## Tammydog (Mar 7, 2015)

*Doctors*

Thanks we have already ruled out Mazzaron. As an agent told us the same thing. But don,t want to live in a really busy place. We over in a couple of weeks to do some major research on this. But we will be staying in La Zenia. Maybe check it out there as well as there seem to be quite a large of expats in the area.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Quite a number of state hospitals have very good teams of volunteer interpreters who are available to assist both people attending outpatient appointments and those on the wards. My own local hospital, the Hospital Comarcal de La Axarquia, is one of them.

Appointments at the local health centres, however, would be more of a problem and you really can't rely on finding an English speaking doctor. Even if doctors and nurses do speak some English, they often do not want to use it during consultations because they fear misunderstandings when it is not their first language.

In Andalucia, there is reportedly a system in place wherby telephone translation is available to doctors and nurses in all health centres - but no-one I know who uses the state health system and doesn't speak Spanish has ever mentioned seeing it used. The norm is for them to take a Spanish speaking person to translate for them, an obliging friend if they have one or a paid translator.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> Quite a number of state hospitals have very good teams of volunteer interpreters who are available to assist both people attending outpatient appointments and those on the wards. My own local hospital, the Hospital Comarcal de La Axarquia, is one of them.
> 
> Appointments at the local health centres, however, would be more of a problem and you really can't rely on finding an English speaking doctor. Even if doctors and nurses do speak some English, they often do not want to use it during consultations because they fear misunderstandings when it is not their first language.
> 
> In Andalucia, there is reportedly a system in place wherby telephone translation is available to doctors and nurses in all health centres - but no-one I know who uses the state health system and doesn't speak Spanish has ever mentioned seeing it used. The norm is for them to take a Spanish speaking person to translate for them, an obliging friend if they have one or a paid translator.


I live in an area with lots of English-speaking immigrants, & our local hospital has employees on duty in urgencias most of the time, who speak several languages - & a very good group of volunteers which helps with translations on the wards for free, when available, & there is usually _someone _on the ward who speaks some English

Although there is also an English-language 'help desk' they don't do outpatients appointments - not for free, anyway

Many of the doctors & hospital staff do speak English - but it's hit & miss if your doctor is one of them

In the centros de salud in our town there are no free translators, and few of the doctors & other staff speak more than very basic English, even though 55% of residents of the town are non-Spanish, & maybe half of those are English-speaking, as a first language


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

extranjero said:


> You probably need to be in a tourist area, Benidorm for example.
> The nearest hospital to the Urbanisation I live on , which has mainly British expats,
> is an hour away, and very few speak English. They will not see you unless you speak Spanish fluently, or have an interpreter..
> We do have a medical centre with two doctors, one speaks English, one doesn't.
> As it takes a long time to be fluent enough to talk to doctors without misunderstanding, *you'll need to use the services of an interpreter*.


and a qualified one who knows medical terminology and what it means, otherwise you are no better off than your next-door neighbour who knows "a bit of Spanish". It may cost you a bit but it is worth it to get good accurate service.


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## Tammydog (Mar 7, 2015)

*English doctors*

Seems like we will have to allow for this cost and try to be close a hospital? My husband has to have regular blood tests and has to attend the doctors regularly. So is a major thing for us. But we have been planning this for 15 years and lost out with our dream home 5 years ago due to the site closing. but still want try and make this work.


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## angil (Sep 24, 2012)

I am in Benalmadena Costa and have no problem communicating with my local doc or dentist. I have had blood taken and sent off, results back in a couple of days etc. The Xanit International Hospital is suppose to be very good. I haven't visited but I did call them once and everyone spoke to me in pretty decent English. I speak very little (no!) Spanish.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

English here is hardly spoken anywhere.


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## Tammydog (Mar 7, 2015)

That's sounds good but what part of Spain is that? I only really done Alicante or Murcia way? Sorry Im going to look it up. But thanks as this is a bit of a worry for us.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

angil said:


> I am in Benalmadena Costa and have no problem communicating with my local doc or dentist. I have had blood taken and sent off, results back in a couple of days etc. The Xanit International Hospital is suppose to be very good. I haven't visited but I did call them once and everyone spoke to me in pretty decent English. I speak very little (no!) Spanish.


The Xanit International Hospital is a private one, though, and I think most of us who responded were doing so on the basis that the OP would be using the state system. If she won't be, her husband's pre-existing condition would be a problem when obtaining quotes for private health insurance.

It is more common to find English speaking staff (although not all of them have English) in private clinics and hospitals than it is in the state system. 

All dentists in Spain are private anyway (apart from a few allied to health centres which provide emergency treatment only). My own dentist and his receptionist/dental nurse both speak excellent English, and we don't live in an area with a very high proportion of British residents.


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## Tammydog (Mar 7, 2015)

Yes we are retired and would not be getting private treatment apart from dentist as quite unlikely to get any private health insurance. But we have made enquires about a company called Angels? They run a 24 hour service for a monthly fee? So have arranged an appointment with them. Has anyone else heard of this company they also run nursing homes and care help? They also translate your medical records and medication and keep computer records for you as well. I have just found this out so checked it out after your comments. Does anyone know about the Valencia Alicante regions? Sorry if I'm crossing over a bit here. But same subject really?


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## angil (Sep 24, 2012)

Lynn R said:


> The Xanit International Hospital is a private one, though, and I think most of us who responded were doing so on the basis that the OP would be using the state system. If she won't be, her husband's pre-existing condition would be a problem when obtaining quotes for private health insurance.
> 
> It is more common to find English speaking staff (although not all of them have English) in private clinics and hospitals than it is in the state system.
> 
> All dentists in Spain are private anyway (apart from a few allied to health centres which provide emergency treatment only). My own dentist and his receptionist/dental nurse both speak excellent English, and we don't live in an area with a very high proportion of British residents.


Lived without the NHS / non private healthcare for so long I actually forget it exists!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Tammydog said:


> That's sounds good but what part of Spain is that? I only really done Alicante or Murcia way? Sorry Im going to look it up. But thanks as this is a bit of a worry for us.


generally if our GP wants a blood test it's done the following morning & the results are in within 48 hours of that


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## Tammydog (Mar 7, 2015)

That sounds good. Just got one here and got to wait until the 17th April for a telephone appointment. And they wrote and told us there is a problem with his results. Maybe NHS is not so brill then? And may be well worth paying for translators?


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## GallineraGirl (Aug 13, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> generally if our GP wants a blood test it's done the following morning & the results are in within 48 hours of that


 Have had one done here in the morning ( non- urgent) at our health centre and the result was available at a hospital appointment that afternoon! Brilliant.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

GallineraGirl said:


> Have had one done here in the morning ( non- urgent) at our health centre and the result was available at a hospital appointment that afternoon! Brilliant.


It depends on what tests are being carried out. If, for example, a culture needs to be made, that may take a week or more.


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

We live in El Campello just north of Alicante. 

My husband attends the doctor's surgery every week for an injection and once every two months for a blood test. A few days after the blood test he visits the doctor at San Juan Hospital in Alicante for the results and to pick up some more injections.

He speaks virtually no Spanish and I have to go with him on normal visits and my Spanish is good enough for that. If he has to go and see a new doctor or if the conversation is likely to get complicated or technical we have to pay for an interpreter. She is experienced in accompanying people on medical visits and she charges €25.

At our doctor's they speak virtually no English. At the hospital a few doctors speak a little English but generally will not see you without someone who speaks at least reasonable Spanish. As one doctor explained to me there is a danger of a patient misunderstanding a diagnosis or explanation of treatment if the Spanish is not sufficient,

Before anyone says my husband should learn Spanish, he is in his late 70s and in the early stages of dementia and has forgotten most of the Spanish he learned in the last 10 years we have been here - sometimes he even forgets the names of things in English.

To the OP, I believe there is a hospital in or near Torrevieja (south of Alicante) which caters for English speaking patients. You might like to investigate this and possibly look to moving near there.


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