# How do I get a blood test in Spain?



## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

Last year, the plan was to retire and have a few months in Spain. I never thought too much about routine problems like the monthly blood test.

Then, out of the blue, I got a job in Marbella for 6 months. So, living here in a flat, with the car for transport, and hitting all sorts of problems. It took 6 weeks to register with Social Security, then 2 weeks to get a doctor´s appointment. Now she tells me I need a "medical report" in Spanish, with all my ailments and treatments, before she can treat me. My UK doctors will not discuss medical problems on the internet, as it is not secure. So it looks like an expensive phone call, with explanations required, then they might post it to my address, or the doctors - who knows?

So the monthly blood test is now 4 weeks overdue, although she has authorised one for next week, but will we understand the results?

MORE IMPORTANTLY - how will we cope if we come out for some winter sun in the future? Does anyone else get regular checks in Spain/Portugal, and if so, HOW?

Many thanks, Gordon


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## 38Rover (Nov 9, 2006)

Hi
I live in Spain and yes it takes a few weeks to get through the red tape to get registered .In theory you should be a resident ( live in Spain for more than 6 months a year) to register for routine care as opposed to emergency care.
I used a private doctor in Nerja for some blood tests when I first came here about 40e for the consultation and 120e for the tests price will vary depending on the tests.


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

Any private clinica will do a blood test for you as long as your doctor gives them the list of whats needed to be tested. the results will be yours you can read whatever is on the result , your telling me you are living in Malaga and no Hablo espanol? tut tut,


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

To say this hasn´t been quite the way I expected things to go would be a bit of an understatement! We arrived on 6th Jan, settled into the job, found out about shops etc and on 13th Jan the restaurant below our flat went up in flames. The bomberros took 3 attempts to get it out, and we returned to a flat full of choking, oily smoke, late on Friday night! We opened windows, cleaned like crazy but it was horrible. So we moved to a different apartment while ours was cleaned, then moved back (ALL belongings!) the following Saturday.

The ventilation shafts still exuded smells and fumes, making Barbara´s asthma terrible. Having considered sleeping on the balcony on Sunday night, we moved into a hotel for 3 nights then a new flat near the golf course.

Last week was a pre-booked holiday to Portugal, so our chances of learning Spanish have been seriously curtailed. The local press was criticizing a chap who couldn´t get treatment for his prostrate cancer, as none of the docs spoke English, but these phrases are not ones usually picked up during the initial stages of conversational modern languages. I get by with "dos cervaza por favor" but hate "la quinta"!

We do carry around a few choice phrases courtesy of Babelfish, but you never really know what you may be asked on the spot. A crash edict on Esperanto is needed, I think.

Thanks for the help
Gordon


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