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Information
supplied by
 http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/
Health
emergency checklist
Last
modified date: 8 February 2007
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This
checklist will help you if you need to arrange emergency medical treatment
abroad.
You
should talk to your doctor and travel agent, if you have one, for advice
before you go. You can also get information from the tourist office,
embassy or high commission of the country you're visiting about getting
medical treatment while you're there.
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Make
sure you've got all the documents you need: your passport, your European
Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if you have one, proof of UK residence (e.g.
your driving licence or NHS card), and vaccination certificates.
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Check
your insurance policy, so you know what your insurers will pay for.
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Contact
your travel company representative if you have one.
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Give
the doctor the generic name - not just the brand name - of any medication
you're taking.
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Tell
the doctor if you've been to any other countries on this trip.
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Keep
the names and addresses of a few friends and relatives with your passport
so they can be contacted if necessary.
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Contact
British Consular officials if you need to get back to the UK quickly. They
may be able to arrange this for you - but, remember, you will have to pay.
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If
you pay for any treatment or drugs and plan to claim on your insurance or
get a refund, keep all receipts, special proofs of purchase, price tags
and labels.
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The
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website has comprehensive travel
advice by country, including information about UK embassies and consular
offices.
What
treatment is covered and what will I be charged for?
Doctors
and dentists: make sure the practitioner you see works within the Spanish
state health service. In some parts of the country, particularly the
outlying islands, you may have to travel some distance to attend a state
surgery ('consultorio'), health centre ('centro sanitario') or hospital
clinic ('ambulatorio'). If you need to call out a doctor in an emergency,
make it clear that you have an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and
that you want to be treated under the EU arrangements. Whenever you need
treatment, show your EHIC. Dental treatment is not generally provided
under the state system, and the costs will not be reimbursed. In Spain,
doctors, health centres and hospitals have separate surgery times for
private patients and those treated under the state health service. If you
are asked to pay, you are not being treated under the Spanish health
service and your EHIC will not be accepted.
Prescriptions:
medicines prescribed by health service practitioners can be obtained from
any pharmacy ('farmacia'). You will have to pay up to 40 per cent of the
cost unless you are a UK or other European Economic Area (EEA) pensioner,
in which case the medicines will be free of charge. You must show proof
that you are a state pensioner, otherwise you will be charged 40 per cent
of the cost, which you can claim back on your return to the UK. If a
hospital says you need medicines after you are discharged, you must take
the medical report to a GP, who will give you a prescription.
Hospital
treatment: a doctor will usually arrange any hospital treatment you may
need. In an emergency, you can only get free treatment in a public ward at
a public hospital. You must show your EHIC; if not, you will be charged as
a private patient and will not get your money back. Under the strict terms
of the Spanish health service, there are no refunds for private healthcare
charges. Make sure you have private medical insurance in case you are
treated in an emergency in a private hospital. Doctors in the emergency
departments of state health service hospitals will prescribe medicines on
the appropriate medical report, but do not issue official prescriptions.
You must take the report to a primary care doctor who will issue the
official prescription.
Who
handles reimbursements?
There
are none. However, if you are a state pensioner and are charged for your
prescriptions, you can apply for a refund when you get back to the UK.
Contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for more information.
What
documentation do I need to claim money back?
Original
receipts.
Where
to get information:
Servicio Regional de Salud (Regional Health Service Offices).
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