The Spanish Health System: A System For Everyone

A study performed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the health systems of its 190 member countries shows that the Spanish health system is the seventh best in the world. Countries like Holland, the United Kingdom and Ireland hold the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth positions respectively in this world ranking.

A number of factors contribute to the Spanish health system being rated as one of the best. These include the universal nature of the system, which guarantees that everyone, regardless of their nationality, has the right to health and medical care. Foreign citizens have the same rights to medical care as anyone else in the country, although this principle of universality involves some simple formalities.

Tourists from the European Union have automatic access to free health care in Spain and only need to have a European Health Insurance Card, which they can request at their Health Centre before starting their holiday and is valid for 1 to 5 years, depending on the country in which it is issued.

The European Health Insurance Card will not be valid if the reason for the trip to another EU state is to receive specific medical treatment, such as childbirth, dialysis sessions or any other type of surgical intervention not arising from an emergency/accident situation. In these cases EU citizens should request form E112 from the authorities in their country of origin who will study the case and decide whether or not to issue this document.

In the case of European pensioners who live for most of the year in Spain, they should request form E121 in their country of origin which transfers their health rights from their country to the Spanish system, where they will be guaranteed full health care. This process means that, in addition to quality primary and specialist health care, European pensioners also benefit from free pharmaceutical products.

Another factor which makes Spain’s health system one of the best in the world is the country’s highly qualified medical professionals. Doctors require an average of 10 years to complete their training and medical schools only accept the very best secondary school students. The country’s nurses are also considered to be the best trained in Europe thanks to their university qualification, which enables them to take responsibilities which lighten the load of the doctors’ work and help to improve the operation of the entire system.

Finally, the Spanish health system is undergoing a process of computerization which will undoubtedly result in an improvement in the provision of services. There are, however, some problems which have yet to be resolved, such as the waiting lists and the saturation of some services, which have been overwhelmed by the increase in immigration in recent years.

In short, Spain continues to be a country which offers all the guarantees necessary to make it an ideal part of the world in which to retire or take a holiday. The benefits of the Mediterranean diet and climate combined with good health mean that Spain offers an excellent level of wellbeing.