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For those living in Spain a trip to see your doctor entails going to the Centro de Salud – the equivalent of a health or medical centre in the UK. Every town has at least one, depending on the official registered number of the residents on the padron. This is why it is so important to register if you do live here, whether it be permanently or just for part of the year. Funding for all services is allocated by Central Government per head of registered population, so if you are using them REGISTER at your Town Hall!


Centro de Salud in the Rincon de LoixThe current medical centre in the Rincon de Loix, which is located on the Avd Juan Fuster Zaragoza (the road that runs behind the Sol Pelicanos hotel) was only ever meant to be a temporary centre – but has been open since 1987! However more than a decade later it is still struggling to cope with the demands not only of local residents – they have 23,000 registered but also the high number of tourists that use the facilities.


Possible plot for new health centre in BenidormThe Ministry of Health has now allocated an initial 150,000 euros of funding from the 2015 budget for a new much needed centre. A potential 3,500 sq mt plot has been found on Calle Zamora – between the Cine Colci cinema and the football pitch, which is currently used as a car park (virtually behind the private IMED hospital).


Marina Baixa hospitalFor those that are here on holiday, so long as you are entitled to NHS care in the UK you will be able to access the reciprocal Social Security healthcare offered to Spanish residents in an emergency. But, you MUST have your blue European Health Insurance Card – often referred to as the EHIC plus your passport to prove that it is you. If not you will be charged for any treatment received then it will be up to you to try and reclaim the money once back in the UK. Both the Centro de Salud in the Rincon and the Social Security hospital in Villa Joyosa have credit card machines to take payment.


EHIC-cardHowever the free European Health Insurance card must never be a replacement for travel insurance – in the event that you need to be repatriated back to the UK your EHIC will NOT cover the cost and it can run into thousands. Also, if a hospital stay exceeds the duration of your planned holiday and you need to rebook flights and pay for additional accommodation, this will not be covered either. Although many do take a risk and travel without, it can be a very costly mistake should the unexpected happen. In an emergency, if you need an ambulance dial 112 – all the operators speak English in addition to French and German.


24 hour farmacia on Avd MediterraneoIt is also worth noting that the chemists - called "farmacia" here, are excellent and you can often get good advice instead of going to the doctor. There is a 24 hour one on the Avd Mediterraneo, about half way along and you can buy many medicines across the counter in Spain without a prescription, such as antibiotics – which incidentally are a fraction of the cost of a UK prescription. However, it is worth remembering that everyday medication such as asprin or paracetemol, widely available in UK supermarkets can only be purchased at the farmacia.

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