Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

droopsnout

Interesting, Sue. (And I hope they do eventually confirm the presence of your cerebellum!)

I suspect that you've hit the nail on the head when you highlight the variability of the service in the UK.

A friend of mine in England was/is possibly suffering from breast cancer. She has had to wait weeks and weeks between test and appointment to discuss results. When she finally attended the appointment, she was told a different story, and then, somewhat oddly, was told she'd need an appointment with a surgeon a few days later.

My father-in-law has been suffering for a very long time because he finds it difficult to get active. Simply getting out of bed and moving around the house causes him considerable pain. Even when he paid privately for consultations, he had to wait long periods, and after consultations, he was required to wait a long time before any diagnosis was discussed. And even then, he never did get a clear indication of the problem, and he is still experiencing the same symptoms, with no help, support, advice or adequate treatment.

Our daughter last week had a 24-hour ECG. She doesn't know when results will be available.

Everything takes an age.

That is why I have been impressed with the speed and quality of treatment over here, and by donny-gal's experience today in Spain.

seven-day-weekend

We too have found the Spanish 'NHS' to be excellent.

My husband had an operation in Granada's 'Hospital Universitario de San Cecilio' (Saint Cecil's University Hospital) in September 2007 and we were well impressed. He had for half of his two week stay, a single ensuite room and we saw no ward of over four beds.

The wait between seeing the GP and having his op was about nine months, but it could have been only four, except we were in England for the first date and had to postpone it. This wait included seeing the consultant to make sure an operation was necessary.

This was for a non life-threatening operation.

His room overlooked the Alhambra Palace with the Sierra Nevada beyond.

seven-day-weekend

Tonight we have watched Clint Eastwood in 'A Fistful of Dollars' (£7.99 for four Clint Eastwood films, from Asda - our son brought them over last week).

All these early Eastwood 'spaghetti western' films should have been called 'paella westerns' as they were all made in the Tabernas desert in Almeria province, Spain.

This is the next province east to us. It is the driest place in Europe and contains Europe's only true desert.

It was good spotting all things Spanish in the film! (Haven't got a clue what it was about, iIwas too busy thinking 'do I know where that place is?' , but I do know that the Man With No Name killed all the mal hombres).

Even the horses were Andalucian thoroughbreds.

Francophile

droopsnout wrote: »

We have had two items of unfortunate medical news ourselves this last week, too. Not as serious as yours, though.

I hope everything works out ok for you and Mrs DS healthwise and financially.
I'm currently burying my head in the sand and have decided to ignore all bad news (financial) and hope that we somehow make it through in the end.

droopsnout

Thank you!

There is much merit in what you say, so long as the bank manager leaves us alone, eh?

donny-gal

Hi All

Yes I was impressed to, but she also stressed it was more of an elimination and reassurance process, than a concern process. This is private, had BUPA cover via my job for many years and was having foot/leg problems as I left work and did not want to let the continuity drop, and found out I could do it via the sister company in Spain and continue any existing complaints, at a better cost, and having the reassurance of easy medical cover in Spain (travel insurance only gives you basic cover for emergencies) and NHS (or a flight to Spain if necessary) when in the UK.

Private n the UK now is getting as long winded as the NHS due to folk being not prepared to wait for the NHS when their health or quality of life is at risk. Yes it costs, but it is something we are prepared to pay and have budgeted for (probably less than if we both smoked!). In our opinion it has paid for itself already for both of us, luckily both on a reassurance basis. As for the UK I agree with S-S, IMHO the GP would have continued messing around with tablets and not checked anything out, but I wanted to know why it had suddenly gone up. When I saw two GP’s, all they both did was to take my BP, no other examination.

I have had heard no complaints here of the Spanish NHS, only praise, but do not qualify for it as not a resident. Well there may be one exception an elderly lady who has stomach problems, and the doctor wishes her to attend the alcoholic clinic, does not accept it is the whisky making here stomach bad, and keeps saying she won’t be here next year, we have been here 6 years now!

Will worry about the pennies later, this week we had news of a work colleague who had died suddenly, he was my age:eek: One never knows!

Glad the news for Mrs DS was better than expected.

Will log on now and post this, internet connecting frustrating, may just have to incur a little extra cost. Trying to decide what to do for April now switch on the 30 hour, which I can switch off, or try to find another 24-7 cover, which allows me to switch on/off per month when I am here or not, Anyone know of this?

DG

droopsnout

Sounds good to me! Wonder if the treatment would have been different on the Spanish NHS. We'll never know, I suppose.

Anyway, take advantage! I'm absolutely sure you're doing the right thing!

Sadly, BUPA wasn't listed amongst the perks in my former job. Was lucky to get a stick of chalk!

seven-day-weekend

Chalk?????

droopsnout

For my snooker cue ...

donny-gal

In answer to a query in another place, I have never smoked, so giving that up was not a problem, I had already curbed alchol intake to help weight loss, so not that is from not a loss to even less, try sitting in bar on your night out with a bottle of water! Salt also reduced, exercise already increased, but increased again, wonder what other vices are left!

TBH though if I can leave here a stone lighter, no-one will be happier than me:rolleyes: .

Yes hard work and long hours did bring some perks!

DG