Green Health Card farce

I am in severe pain, but can't believe the trouble I am having trying to get treatment. I applied for my Spanish green card for health cover in June having now retired, apparently it takes months to be sent, so they gave me temporary cover for 3 months at the Manilva Health Centre. The doctor, after about 3, or 4, visits and many painkillers finally requested an appointment, for me, with the Traumatology department in Marbella Hospital. The Hospital rang me and said that my cover runs out on Sept 10th and they couldn't give me an appointment before then, so I would have to go back to the Health Centre and get it extended. So, the next day I went there and they said that there was no need as it would automatically be extended on that date. The hospital rang the next day again and asked me why I hadn't extended the cover and I told them what the centre said, to which they told me that was rubbish and wouldn't give me an appointment. 

WHAT A COMPLETE FARCE. I have just been down to the Health Centre in Sabinillas and they told me to go back to Manilva. The lovely lady interpreter, Wilma, helped me and asked them to look on the system and see if my card was being processed. They did reluctantly, but came back and said no it wasn't, because they needed proof that I had retired (this is despite giving them my S1 and showing them the duplicate). They said I would have to go back to Gibraltar and get them to say I had retired as I last worked there. Then they said I had to go back to Manilva and Estepona to get the paperwork re-done. Wilma wrote me a letter in Spanish to tell Manilva HC that I wanted my S1 back to take to Estepona. He told me to go back to Sabinillas as the document was there. When I told him they said it wasn't he shrugged his shoulders and said go to Estepona and tell them that I had retired but the S1 had been lost and show them my passport for my date of birth. What the hell was the S1 for in the first place if it wasn't to confirm I had retired and was getting a pension. This is ridiculous and criminal. I am in pain, I have produced all the correct documents and they still won't get me my green card. When my wife applied she got hers in 2 weeks and didn't have to go through any of this rubbish.

What the hell was the S1 for in the first place if it wasn't to confirm I had retired and was getting a pension. 

That is not what it is for. 

If it is the same as one issued by DWP in UK,  it is to confirm that the DWP will make the annual payment of around £3,000 to the Spanish health authorities, so that you can get your ‘free’ cover in Spain.

What the hell was the S1 for in the first place if it wasn't to confirm I had retired and was getting a pension. 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-spain

If you are in receipt of a UK old age state pension or long term sickness benefit, obtain an S1 form (previously E121) from the International Pension Centre on +44 191 218 7777. Once issued, register the S1 form with your local INSS office, before you register with your local GP surgery and obtain a medical card.

That is what it says on the GOV web site, so that is the way I interpret it.

I'm a bit confused by all the places you've been (Manilva, Estepona, Sabanillas etc.), so may be only complicating things for you - but when you "applied for my Spanish green card", who did you "apply" to, and who did you give your S1 to? Health centres don't usually process these as far as I know. As per you own quote, you should "register the S1 form with your local INSS office" - that's usually somewhere other than the health centre. The INSS will issue you with a certificate of entitlement, which you then present at your health centre. But maybe I'm telling you stuff you already know, since you've done it for your wife already? Sorry if this is no help. Hope the pain improves soon. Good luck.

You're confused Roberto????  I'm confused, exhausted, frustrated, plus in great pain and now angry. I've been to all these places because we keep being sent to all these places. I think it's called being given the run around. I have done what all these different people told me to do. I have provided all the documents they asked for. I have even paid a professional to make sure it was all done properly.I handed the S1 in to the Health Centre because I was told by them that that is what has to be done.

All my wife did was get her S1 stamped, hand it in to the HC in Manilva and she got her green card in 2 weeks. So why are they doing this to me?

THE GOOD NEWS!

Well folks it's all sorted thanks to Valentina Radu (who is a volunteer interpreter at the Sabinillas Health Centre) who is, without a doubt, amazing. She took me to Estepona Social Security who showed us that my documents HAD been received and ARE being actioned for the green card. She then took me to Manilva HC to get my heath cover extended, and also contacted Marbella hospital to ask them to re-arrange my appointment in the Traumatology Dept. What a fantastic lady she is, so obliging and helpful, who goes that one step beyond to help. She is awesome, thank you Valentina.

"why are they doing this to me?" Because they can. Because it's what they do. 

Anyway, glad you got it sorted eventually. Good luck with the traumatology appointment, hope things improve quickly for you.