Medical issues in Spain -help please!!!

Hawkman · #1 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 02:39 PM

Hello there
Had a bit of an emergency situation crop up in the last few days and was wondring if anyone can offe some advice.

My elderly parents live in Spain, in the Cadiz region. A few days ago my dad had to be hospitalised as was able to pass water (due to along term prostate enlargement problem) He has been catheretised and in and out of hospital over the last few days and the outlook seems to be that he will have to have either a PVP or TURP over the next week or so (basically a removal of part of or all of the prostate gland).

My issue is cost.They have no BUPA. he is 73. Can this procedure be performed at a subsidised rate , free of charge or will it be at cost, or is he better off temporarily returning to UK (i would go against the latter as the NHS is pants).

Anyway would appreciate advise as to how (and possibly where?) best this can be done. the condition he has is a long term chroinc one but the procedure to be performed now would be pretty much an emergency intervention.

Chica · #2 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkman

Hello there
Had a bit of an emergency situation crop up in the last few days and was wondring if anyone can offe some advice.

My elderly parents live in Spain, in the Cadiz region. A few days ago my dad had to be hospitalised as was able to pass water (due to along term prostate enlargement problem) He has been catheretised and in and out of hospital over the last few days and the outlook seems to be that he will have to have either a PVP or TURP over the next week or so (basically a removal of part of or all of the prostate gland).

My issue is cost.They have no BUPA. he is 73. Can this procedure be performed at a subsidised rate , free of charge or will it be at cost, or is he better off temporarily returning to UK (i would go against the latter as the NHS is pants).

Anyway would appreciate advise as to how (and possibly where?) best this can be done. the condition he has is a long term chroinc one but the procedure to be performed now would be pretty much an emergency intervention.

Hi there Hawkman and welcome to the forum

Are your parents from another EU country? Do they have residencia here in Spain?

Chica · #3 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 02:54 PM

Sorry, I see now you are from the UK so will assume your parents are too.

If your father has become a resident of Spain then all his treatment will be free if he has filed a E121 with the social scurity. Even if he hasn't I think there are ways that the spanish system can get around this with your father at the age of 73.

There are people on the forum that know a great deal more than myself so I am sure they will be more precise than I.

Hang around a while when I am sure you will receive more replies to your query.

Whatever you do, don't worry. I'm sure all will be OK.

Chica. x

jojo · #4 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 02:58 PM

I thought I'd say, that I'm not deliberately ignoring you, I just dont know the answer!! There are people on here who, I'm sure will!!!

Jo xxx

Hawkman · #5 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 03:16 PM

thanks. i think they dont hold residencia in spain but own a property there and have their penisons etc paid into uk bank accounts so maintain a postal address over there, which in effect acts as a "residential address"

SteveHall · #6 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 03:19 PM

1) sorry to hear of this
2) don't panic
3) is he in the Spanish system? If not, (bluntly) why not?
4) as a EU citizen and pensioner. He should be covered. Have you spoken to the doctors? Will they treat this as an emergency even if he is a desparecido?
Are you just worrying needlessly? (Easily done when these emergencies occur)

Sure we will be able to assist

Hawkman · #7 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 03:47 PM

no im not frantic or anything at all. i havent spoken with the docs as im in singapore and i only get the info after visits to hospital etc.
he has been returning to uk for occasional consults with a uk urologist over past 5 years.
am just considering costs. christ knows why they are not in "the system" but there u go...

SteveHall · #8 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 03:54 PM

But they MAY be in the clubs and entitled to these operations on the Spanish State Service I've had loads of cases over the years when people did not realise that they were covered.
(Had plenty the other way around too!)

One of my very best friends returns to the UK every 6 weeks for treatment that he would not have to pay for here. His initial excuse 10 years ago was that the doctors did not speak English. A bit thin now that he himself still can't offer a coffee in Spain!

He spends most of his life now bleating about the cost of EasyJet! Keeps him off discussing his colon with me I suppose!

Hawkman · #9 (**permalink**) 29th July 2009, 04:14 PM

exactly. they have an excellent hospital just down the road in Puerto Real. why fly ryan air to spend a week toing and froing betwen clinics and waiting rooms in uk and poss catch mrsa (as my mum did) when you have a quite good system in Spain. I only ever used it once, for a snakebite, but it only cost me 15 euros to be hospitalised and monitored for a day.
i will ask them to check, only thing is they have some kind of fixation with retrurning to uk for any kind of medical treatment, due to both having worked in the NHS all their lives.
Anyway i dont want cost to be the compromise here...there are so many otpions to be explored ref treatment of a severly enlarged/obstructive prostate so if ther is a better option in spain then I would prefer that he be treated there. without having him sound like a medical tourist.