question re. healthcare and current medical issue. help needed

I'm currently in Spain on a trial basis with the possibility of moving permanently depending on work and the children settling into school. i have been receiving treatment in the uk for a bulging disc in the spine and Sacroiliac joint dysfunction, this has been diagnosed following a cat scan in the uk.
i am due to have surgery to fix the problems in the uk but have not yet been given a timescale on this, however, since arriving in Spain the condition has got worse. My problem is that if i return to the uk i have nowhere to stay and nobody to take care or help me after the operation as my husband will have to stay in spain with the children. my question is - can this operation/treatment be continued in Spain so that I have help post-op as I believe it's quite difficult to be mobile after the spinal surgery. I have an Ehic card, can anbody offer any advice please as I don't know what best to do, thank you 

Cant offer any concrete advice on this matter beyond stating that an EHIC card will not entitle you to ongoing medical treatment in Spain. It's issued for Emergency Use only on vacation etc. It is not to be used for routine stuff and most Spanish hospitals will turn you away unless you have other private medical insurance in place and its unlikely that Health insurance will cover pre-existing conditions which this clearly is.

Seems to me that your best option is treatment in the UK;

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Is your husband working and paying into the Spanish healthcare system? If so, that should also cover you and the children for healthcare in Spain. Otherwise, I can see no option but to pay for private treatment in Spain or go back to the UK , with or without your family. An EHIC card will not cover this as it's for holiday use only.

There is quite a lot on this forum about healthcare.

What do you mean "trial basis?" If you have been here more than 90 days you are a resident and have to sign on the EU foreign citizens register. More than 183 days and you are tax resident. Your EHIC card covers you for up to 90 days as a holiday maker, for emergencies . From what you write it seems you may have been here longer?

residency requirements are stricter now, and you have to prove you all have health cover, and have 6000 in the bank and/ or 600 euros income per month each

After 3 ( or is it now 6) months away from the UK, you will no longer be eligible for UK NHS care as it is residence based

If your husband is working and registered , he will be paying autonomo, and therefore healthcare will be covered.

if he is not working then you will have to have health cover for 1 year, then you will be eligible to pay into the Spanish NHS which will  cost 60  euros each per month, and cover you for everything except prescriptions which you will pay a percentage of.

Not sure how  the situation with residency and health care this applies to children.

there is information on this on a UK government website.

GazMacD it's frustrating when a poster asks for advice then no feed back is given.

can you tell me if my post is applicable to you ? Or are you in a different situation .

The details in your original post were sparse, as you did not tell us how long you had been in Spain etc, and it did seem you were not aware of thevrules re residency etc.

thanks for all the replies, 

we've been here just 10 days and our stay depends on work and the children settling into life/school here, we've still got a property in the uk which is currenlty rented out until sold or we return.

the issue i have is that i don't have anywhere to stay after the op where i can get help moving and with recovery.

i've enquired about private cover but the insurers i contacted wont' cover existing conditions, even though after i've had the op the no further treatment will be requried, it's becoming unbearable to move some days so i'd like this treated asap, 

advice really appreciated

From a common sense point of view, I would say you should book 'plane tickets straight away for the 4 of you back to the UK and stay in something like a Travelodge if you have nowhere to go in the UK and if you don't have a lot of money. You may then need to try and rent somewhere short-term in the UK. Personally, if I were in that much pain I'd get straight back to Blighty. If you end up having to pay for the hospital treatment in Spain I'd imagine it would cost a fortune.

I wouldn't worry about the kids' education - they can catch up later. I had to fly back to the UK some years ago when my father was seriously ill and subsequently died. We all just got on the first 'plane and spent a month away from Spain. It didn't affect the children's education at all (if that's one thing you're worried about). 

Sorry to end on a bleak note, but if your stay 'depends on work' I wonder how your husband is going to manage to find work in Spain... as you can't work with being so ill. If you go back to the UK and rent somewhere short-term maybe you'll be entitled to some benefits in the UK??

A possible option for you is via the S1 form.

If you have paid UK NI over the last 2 (or 5) years you may be entiltled to health care in Spain under the S1 form for a limited period of time 12 or 24 months I am not sure as things do keep changing

I would ring Newcastle and ask the question

For further advice, contact the Overseas Healthcare Team (DWP):
Overseas Healthcare Team
Room MO601, Durham House
Washington
Tyne & Wear
NE38 7SF
Phone 0191 218 19990191 218 1999 (Monday to Friday 8am–5pm).

Nothing ventured nothing gained = worst they can say is no

Another solution is if you are your husband register as autonomo (self employed) and pay the monthly "NI" (minimum payment is approx 230€ per month it is not income based but a fixed payment), you will get cover. Obviously you will have to register as working (window cleaner, builder, mecahnic etc etc etc) and declare income from zero to xxxx. You will aslo have to get regsitered and will require assistance from a solicitor - I think the ste up fee starts at 80€.

In Valencia region there was a system where you can join the health scheme by paying a monthly fee but not sure if that still exits

Getting a job with a full contract is difficult but last option

In all cases you will have to register on the padron and obtain a certificate of residence (aka residencia). You will probably need all of these for the schooling of your children

Last option head back to UK and rent somewhere

Good luck

Sorry to say, but Spain isn't for you at the moment. Eggcup is right, you need to go back and have that operation asap. You can then try Spain again once you are well. Please do your research first though. Spain isn't a land of milk and honey and you will have many hurdles to cross, not least the work situation.

Tadd...the S1 form was scrapped for new applicants in April this year.