# Do doctors understand english ?



## Rino (Mar 6, 2010)

Do doctors/dentists understand english in Porto area ? Unfortunately I do not know portuguese.
Also, is there a private health care system ? Or do we have to get dental insurance etc ?


----------



## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

Most Doctors/dentists do speak English, you just pay for the treatment you receive.


----------



## nelinha (Jan 15, 2009)

Hi Rino, most doctors will understand and speak english, HD and I actually go to an english doctor in the Cascais area. You can register with the national health care centre but they ask for lots and lots of docs, specially social security number, if you have a uk one with an international insurance you should be able to register. otherwise there are quite a few private health insurances don't know if I can mention them here, so will send you a pm with some names. What you have to look at are the conditions, we were looking at one and we discovered that they only accept members younger than 60yrs and 11 months and when you turn 70 they kick you out. We are now looking at a different one that has no age restriction and they have agreements with the CUF clinic near us. Check if you have a CUF clinic near you. The other problem is that the info on these health insurances are all in Portuguese. The option for dentistry is optional by the way in Pt they call it estomatologia. Do some research before joining any of them. Good luck


----------



## Rino (Mar 6, 2010)

nelinha said:


> You can register with the national health care centre but they ask for lots and lots of docs, specially social security number, if you have a uk one with an international insurance you should be able to register.


Hmmm, I was told I would be covered under their national health insurance.
I'm not yet in portugal, but will go there when the job offer finalises and the visa comes. Would it still be hasslesome for me to get national health coverage ?
I'm not from europe, so I dont have a social security number or anything.


----------



## mitz (Oct 21, 2008)

I would say you will be lucky if your local GP speaks English, ours doesn't.
You will have better luck at the hospitals but half the battle is getting to the doctor through the receptionist, who is even less likely to speak English.
Luckily there is usually an English speaker in one form or another there to help out.


----------



## nelinha (Jan 15, 2009)

rino check ukinportugal(dot)fco(dot)gov(dot)uk it's a site from the british consulate in Pt and it has the names of doctors in Porto believed to speak english. If you manage to get into the national health, please give me some info on how you did it, HD is german but has never lived in Germany so he has no ID, no social security number has never contributed only has a passport and although married to a Pt citizen he wasn't allowed to join. The solution that suggested was that he registers for green receipts (self employed), then he starts paying social security in Pt then finally he will be able to join the health centre The other solution would be for him to go and live in Germany for a few months, apply for an ID there, get a social security number then come back to Pt. This according to the german consulate. :confused2: So please let me know if you find another way.


----------



## Rino (Mar 6, 2010)

nelinha said:


> rino check ukinportugal(dot)fco(dot)gov(dot)uk it's a site from the british consulate in Pt and it has the names of doctors in Porto believed to speak english.


Ack, the porto link seems to go nowehere 
ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/how-we-can-help/if-you-need-doctor#




> If you manage to get into the national health, please give me some info on how you did it, HD is german but has never lived in Germany so he has no ID, no social security number has never contributed only has a passport and although married to a Pt citizen he wasn't allowed to join. The solution that suggested was that he registers for green receipts (self employed), then he starts paying social security in Pt then finally he will be able to join the health centre The other solution would be for him to go and live in Germany for a few months, apply for an ID there, get a social security number then come back to Pt. This according to the german consulate. :confused2: So please let me know if you find another way.


My employer tells me I will need to pay social security (which they will reimburse), and that they have created a VAT number for me. Does that mean I will get into the national health insurance ?

How expensive is private heath/dental care ? Do most people have private health/dental insurance ?
How good are public hospitals ?


----------



## -mia- (Dec 23, 2009)

mitz said:


> I would say you will be lucky if your local GP speaks English, ours doesn't.
> You will have better luck at the hospitals but half the battle is getting to the doctor through the receptionist, who is even less likely to speak English.
> Luckily there is usually an English speaker in one form or another there to help out.


Younger doctors tend to speak English more than older doctors. Most of the books & references are in English and are no longer translated into Portuguese, especially anything new.

Having said that not all doctors LIKE to speak English. So even if they do they will tell you they don't.


----------

