# Can I Pick Your Brains About Hospitals Please?



## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

This is fun, isn't it?

Our situation is that my wife and I have done the many trips to PT, checked out other countries, explored our finances, come close to divorce during "discussions", bought a left hand drive UK registered car and become members of Brittany Ferries club thingy. All we need to do now (ALL?) is decide which part of the country we want to live in. Then, as has been suggested in many threads, we'll rent for a while to make sure we've chosen wisely.

The problem is deciding where we want to "try before we buy"? Certain things are easy - we don't want the Algarve as there are too many Brits and tourists and we don't want the north as it's too cold. We think we want the middle bit, maybe an hour or so inland from the coast?

Anyway, we came up with the bright idea that we would get a large scale map, mark on it key things we need and draw shapes around these places encompassing the maximum "drive-time" we would be happy with. We thought of GOOD hospitals, warm "micro-climates", distance from the coast, distance from major shopping areas and distance from Lisbon Airport as good things to start with.

It started well - by using a route-calculating website and chosing villages some way from Lisbon, we were able to draw a peculiar shaped boundary which showed an hour and a half from the airport so we would try to stay within it. Shops were easy - we just looked at the larger towns within our area and drew little circles showing half an hour's drive from them. This didn't sut the size of the area down by much so we thought we'd look at GOOD hospitals and it's there that we hit the brick wall!

During one of our trips to PT, we stayed in Coinbro and a Brit we met was unfortunate enough to have a heart attack. As he was on his own, we spent a lot of time at the hospital with him and although he got good treatment, the sheer volume of people using the place meant it seemed chaotic to put it mildly so we thought we'd find others which were less hectic? Now, I thought I was pretty good at finding information on the Net, but for the life of me (lol), I can't find a list of "Top 10 Hospitals in Portugal" or anything like that!

:focus: You Posters have been very helpful before so once again I turn to you for your advice - pleeeese? Can you tell me of any GOOD hospitals you have found that are within an hour and a half's drive from Lisbon Airport please? lane:

I should add that we are looking for NHS, rather than Private hospitals for various reasons which I will not go into here (but I have no doubt I will be seeking your advice about in due course!).

Many thanks in advance for all your help - all repliers will be invited to our very first BBQ when we get there!

Colin


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

In that case then Coimbra HUC should be your choice, it really isn't choatic, facilities and expertise second to none.

Portuguese health service works from your local Centro de Saude where you would register with a _family doctor_ they then refer you elsewhere should further tests, xrays, consultations, treatment etc be required and without a doubt Coimbra HUC is the hospital to be referred to.

Centro de Saude are situated in the Camra towns, then Regional hospitals at Region capital and depending on area might have sub hospitals in major regional towns.
Personally if healthcare is a primary importance then it's the local saude that is important and then your referral option.
You'll need to use site in Portuguese, the English version only contains current warnings and very useful information on enrolling.
Direcção-Geral da Saúde


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

I endorse what has been said about Coimbra. I was diagnosed with bladder camcer last year in South Africa and on my return to Portugal received excellent care here. I chose to have the operation to remove part of the bladder privately as the urology wards in Covoes are quite crowded with no privacy. However the follow-up chemotherapy and radiotherapy were all free (I am 67 years of age) and absolutely excellent. Also, all follow up examinations and drugs prescribed as part of the treatment. I now have on my Health Registration Document the code 1999 which means I do not pay for medical treatment, only drugs at a reduced rate. My brother in law here is diabetic and receives better care than in the UK, mainly I think because diabetes is endemic in Portugal. You must bear in mind that hospitals are very centralised here and people travel a long way for specialist treatment. At Coimbra you see ambulances from as far away as Castelo Branco. In UK we lived in South Hampshire and had hospitals in Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton on the doorstep. However, I guess if we lived in the middle of nowhere in UK we could also expect a journey time of one hour like here.


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## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

Thank you Canoeman and Maggie - your comments are much appreciated.

I maybe should have added WHY we are concerned about having a GOOD hopital nearby.... We are quite happy to travel and understand the process of being "referred" by a local doctor for scheduled treatment, but I have had two heart attacks in my life and although things appear to have stabilised for now, I would like the comfort of knowing I am not too far away from a good hospital, should I be unfortunate enough to experience another one....

I guess what I should have asked for was "A hospital with a good A&E"?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Coimbra, tagged when you go in so your records and location available all stations in hospital, not get lost as my late farther in law was in UK


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

My husband has a history of heart problems including a triple bypass in Southampton with MRSA in the chest wound which meant seven weeks in hospital to reover which was touch and go in the beginning. Here he has since had stents fitted in Coimbra by one of the best cardiologists ever, Dr Mariano Pego. The cardiology department in Coimbra is second to none.


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## MrBife (Jul 26, 2009)

The Algarve is a whole lot more than the coastal strip with some excellent medical facilities too !

Hospital Particular do Algarve

Spoilt for choice !


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Except Colin rejected Algarve and private medical facilities and wanted to be within 1.5hrs of Lisbon


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

I can endorse the HUC at Coimbra.

Being treated there on two counts
1. Have had a kidney transplant
2. have had two cardiac stents fitted.

I cannot fault the treatment I have hard there.
In fact as far as transplants are concerned Coimbra is one of the major centers in the World.
I ranks even above the UK.
I have also had experience of the hospital at Santarem where I spent some time with a severe kidney infection (this was before I was being treated in Coimbra) once again I cannot fault the treatment or the hospital. The hospital was dated (bulit over 20 yars ago) but immaculately clean.

the one problem in Portugal is that all appointments are made for the same time!!!! So when you have an appointmenr to 8am....so does the rest of Portugal.
Saying that all is very efficient and on transplant mornings I arrive about 8.30 and leave about 1pm...that is with all my bloods test results back!!!



.


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

Latest experience of Coimbra. Hy husband went yesterday for a brain CT scan at Covoes. The appointment was for 1100, we arrived at 1040 and he was finished by 1115. The morning outpatients is a bit more manic, as you say everyone's appointment is 0930 and then you wait. However, once you know your way around the system care is excellent. Nurses are much more caring in the UK (especially the university graduate nurses who are too posh to care properly but love doing the drugs rounds). I once asked an English nurse for the definition of "to nurse" and she didn't have a clue what I was talking about until I explained "to do for someone what they cannot do for themself". Specialists speak English because so much of their research, papers, conferences etc. are in English. Older doctors prefer to speak Portuguese and I have noticed a recent trend of them saying "you are in Portugal you must speak Portuguese". They may speak some English but are reticent about it for fear of making mistakes.


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## hoothall (Sep 4, 2011)

siobhanwf said:


> I can endorse the HUC at Coimbra.
> 
> Being treated there on two counts
> 1. Have had a kidney transplant
> ...


Hi Siobhan, Your post has encouraged me to seek your advice. Last June I had a stent fitted in Faro hospital and now one year later I am on dialysis awaiting a transplant. What worries me is the change over from dialysis controlled by the UK to dialysis controlled by Portugal. I have got my residency and am currently 30 days in to the 90 days required to get a medical card. I don't have a social security number as yet. Can you give me any tips please - Kris


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

"I have got my residency and am currently 30 days in to the 90 days required to get a medical card. I don't have a social security number as yet."

Can you explain, don't understand what you mean by 30 days in to 90 days? are you a UK pensioner?
There should be no difference between dialysis, except for funding, but your question seems to imply your *not correctly* registered here, which is an important issue for you.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

hoothall said:


> Hi Siobhan, Your post has encouraged me to seek your advice. Last June I had a stent fitted in Faro hospital and now one year later I am on dialysis awaiting a transplant. What worries me is the change over from dialysis controlled by the UK to dialysis controlled by Portugal. I have got my residency and am currently 30 days in to the 90 days required to get a medical card. I don't have a social security number as yet. Can you give me any tips please - Kris


Hoothall welcome to the forum.
As this is a very personal issue I have sent you a PM with my contact details.
You cannot PM me on the forum until you have made 5 posts


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

hoothall said:


> Hi Siobhan, Your post has encouraged me to seek your advice. Last June I had a stent fitted in Faro hospital and now one year later I am on dialysis awaiting a transplant. What worries me is the change over from dialysis controlled by the UK to dialysis controlled by Portugal. I have got my residency and am currently 30 days in to the 90 days required to get a medical card. I don't have a social security number as yet. Can you give me any tips please - Kris


encouraging facts while you are waiting for yur transplant:

Portugal has the second highest number of organ donors in the world, behind its neighbour Spain, which together place Iberia at the top of the donations list. This was reported this week ()ctober 2010) , 41 years since the first national kidney transplant took place.
Portugal operates on an opt-out system, where all Portuguese nationals are considered potential donors with the exception of those who express their opposition by enrolling on the National Non-Donor Register (RENNDA).


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

canoeman said:


> "I have got my residency and am currently 30 days in to the 90 days required to get a medical card. I don't have a social security number as yet."
> 
> Can you explain, don't understand what you mean by 30 days in to 90 days? are you a UK pensioner?
> There should be no difference between dialysis, except for funding, but your question seems to imply your *not correctly* registered here, which is an important issue for you.


I presume your following the_ Foreigners_ option of registering with the Health Service and Social Security, but I don't believe that if you are a UK or EU Citizen then this is the correct procedure.
_Foreigners_ for this registration are defined as Nationals of a country *not* in EU, EES or Switzerland and do *not hold* a legal Residency Permit.

In your situation it's important for you to be correctly registered with the Health Service and Social Security.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

canoeman said:


> I presume your following the_ Foreigners_ option of registering with the Health Service and Social Security, but I don't believe that if you are a UK or EU Citizen then this is the correct procedure.
> _Foreigners_ for this registration are defined as Nationals of a country *not* in EU, EES or Switzerland and do *not hold* a legal Residency Permit.
> 
> In your situation it's important for you to be correctly registered with the Health Service and Social Security.


Hi canoeman. Hoothall is from the UK. I have talked her through what she needs to do so hopefully all will be easier from now on


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

This is an extract from the British Embassy website 
15. Health Service
Under EU legislation, British citizens who are legally resident in Portugal are entitled 
to state medical treatment on the same terms as any Portuguese national who is 
covered by the National Health Service. Non-resident British visitors to Portugal are 
entitled to emergency medical treatment at state facilities on production of their
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
In order to benefit from state-funded health care as a resident, you should apply for 
a National Health Service “user’s number” (número de utente) at your local health 
centre (Centro de Saúde) producing your passport as evidence of national status, and your registration certificate (see paragraph 1 above). Until such a time as you have a registration certificate, you will only be entitled to emergency treatment from state facilities. 
Routine consultations, complementary exams, such as x-rays and blood 
tests, and prescriptions for existing illnesses only become available on National 
Health Service terms once a registration certificate has been issued and a user´s 
number has been applied for. 
There is, however, one exception to this rule. If you are retired and are in receipt of a UK state retirement pension, you may apply for a user card and enrol with a state GP immediately on arrival, on the production of your passport and Form S1 which you should obtain from the Department for Work and Pensions before leaving the UK. 


This confirms your status as a UK pensioner to the Portuguese authorities, and 
speeds-up the issue of a Portuguese health service user number. 
Please note that the only medicines that are available free-of-charge in Portugal, are 
those used to treat the sufferers of certain chronic illnesses. All other medicines 
have to be purchased, though many are subsidised to some extent when obtained 
on prescription and on presentation of a health service user number.
There are several good but expensive private clinics in Portugal. If you are 
considering using private health facilities, you may wish to take out health insurance, either in the UK or locally on arrival. 

http://ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/18177967/ResPortugal


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## Colin Robinson (Jan 19, 2011)

Thank you everyone!

As I want to be within an hour and a half's drive from Lisbon Airport, an hour from the coast and no more than half an hour's drive (by ambulance) from a good A&E and if I have understood you all correctly, I shiould look around Coimbra HUC and Santarem but possibly not Covoes as it is more crowded and "hectic".

Without wishing to take this thread too far, can I ask one last time if there are any other hospitals with good A&E's besides Coimbra and Santarem which would fit my other wishes please?

Many, many thanks to you all.... :clap2:


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Colin Robinson said:


> Thank you everyone!
> 
> As I want to be within an hour and a half's drive from Lisbon Airport, an hour from the coast and no more than half an hour's drive (by ambulance) from a good A&E and if I have understood you all correctly, I should look around Coimbra HUC and Santarem but possibly not Covoes as it is more crowded and "hectic".
> 
> ...


Caldas da Rainha, Torres Novas (may be a bit too far from the sea though)

Coimbra is just over two hours from Lisbon airport but nearly all the way on motorway (A1)


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

It's the funding though that is not mentioned when you don't fall in _pensioner, student or working _categories.
Although Embassy site does make it sound simple and straightforward, unfortunately the reality is that it is very dependent on local Health Centre's interpretation of requirements.

Hopefully you've got hoothall on right track as their post certainly raised questions.


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

I think you have misunderstood something along the way. Covoes is part of the Coimbra Hospital, just in a different location outside of the city where various specialists operate. Depending on the treatment, you will go to either Covoes or Coimbra. It is not any more hectic than Coimbra University Hospital. My husband's experience the other day that I described before was in Covoes and all my excellent treatment was there and at the Oncology Clinic in Coimbra.


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## Smithx10 (Sep 4, 2011)

Hello,

Can anyone tell me how the hospitals around the Lisboa area are? 

Thank You,
Bruce Smith


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## thepilotswife (Nov 22, 2009)

The new-ish hospital in Cascais/Alcabideche is great, from what I hear. My son's friend broke his arm and was taken there. His parents were extremely pleased with the treatment and care. I've not had a reason to go there myself, but it's getting positive reviews from those I know who have been treated there.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Smithx10 said:


> Hello,
> 
> Can anyone tell me how the hospitals around the Lisboa area are?
> 
> ...


Many of the major hospitals are in Lisbon. The only one I have experienced personally is Santa Maria where after several angina attacks I had ywo stents fitted.
I cannot fault the medical system here in Portugal.

My brother in law in the UK was diagnosed with the same problem as me 20 months ago. I had my stents fitted within two weeks....he is still waiting!!


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