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8 messages

BS: Medicine in Spain

10 Sep 16 - 05:53 AM (#3809258)
Subject: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: Bonzo3legs

My wife has had a serious, very slow healing leg ulcer since March of this year. She is under the same Consultant Dermatologist under the NHS as she saw privately (£190 per consultation + £75 for dressings which caused much discomfort!) whilst hospitalised in April for almost 3 weeks. She made an appointment with a Consultant Dermatologist here in Spain, which cost €60 + €25 for dressings and antibiotic/debriding medications. What is more, she was able to use her prescription more than once in order to stock up. Can you imagine that happening in the UK? All in all, excellent medical care to be found in Spain!!!


10 Sep 16 - 09:52 AM (#3809300)
Subject: RE: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: Greg F.

So can Spaniards!


10 Sep 16 - 10:17 AM (#3809304)
Subject: RE: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: DMcG

Is this a complaint that UK private medicine is overpriced?


10 Sep 16 - 10:28 AM (#3809307)
Subject: RE: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: Bonzo3legs

It would appear to be!


11 Sep 16 - 02:00 AM (#3809448)
Subject: RE: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: Teribus

In Scotland Bonzo under the NHS it would have cost you nothing.


11 Sep 16 - 03:12 AM (#3809461)
Subject: RE: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: Bonzo3legs

Quite possibly, by my wife has a constant battle with NHS nurses, who seem to have a "this is what we do so this is what you must tolerate" attitude, in spite of what her Consultant Dermatologist has decided.

Interestingly enough, in July when she applied for NHS appointment for a skin patch test, the date given was in October! Result of this was she emailed her consultant who, because of the urgency to establish which dressings and emolient creams to which she has an allergy, had it changed to 5 days later in July - you need to know the tricks to get on to the right list!!! Mind you, turned out to be a bloody waste of time, and it was only the dressings and antibiotic creams provided in the private Spanish clinic that gave no discomfort whatsoever! Spanish medicine is clearly more advanced in that respect!!!

She has already emailed details of all this to her Consultant Dermatologist in advance of her appointment next week. Then begins the farce with our NHS surgery!!!


11 Sep 16 - 03:58 AM (#3809470)
Subject: RE: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: DMcG

The approach to treatment does vary throughout the world and I am glad to hear that the Spanish treatment worked well, but you cannot conclude it is more advanced from your experience: there's too many other possible explanations. I'm definitely not saying the NHS couldn't improve, obviously. But i'd be interestwd to her if the Spanish people did allergy teats. If they dodn't it is possible they were just lucky in the one they picked, for example. In my (equally anecdotal) experience, the NHS is reluctant to start treatment before they have done lots of tests to convince themselves it is most likely the right treatment. This adds delays as you wait to have the tests and wait for the results. I know other countries which start the treatment based on an initial assessment then try to correct things later if they were mistaken. I'd be hard pushed to decide which is most advanced.


11 Sep 16 - 04:00 AM (#3809471)
Subject: RE: BS: Medicine in Spain
From: DMcG

Allergy tests, not teats!