Medical Advice if you're moving to Spain

Hi all,

I've spent the last two weeks at the hospital in Murcia interpreting for two of my neighbours, one who is disabled the other a retired gentlemen with a very rare condition.  Neither neighbour speaks any spanish, so both called on me to help them.

The point I would like to stress to anyone considering moving to Spain, is that they should bring with them a copy of their medical records or at the very least a summary of their medical history.  In both cases, neither person had anything with them to help medical staff, as you can imagine trying to get medical records from a UK hospital on a Bank Holiday was not easy!!!

So please, if you are thinking of moving over, ask your GP practice to compile a summary of your medical history, you never know when you may need it!

Hi Mariposa - I'd like to second that!  Even if you don't have a particularly complicated history, my experience is that they won't change a regular prescription without a history. 

When I moved, I asked my GP for my history and they said just ask your new GP to send for it.  Big mistake!  Spanish GPs won't send for your notes and you have to then try to get everything sent out yourself.  The UK bureaucracy is as bad as the spanish!!

So insist on a summary and you will start off on the right foot with your new GP.