French health service-brilliant!

Slow_boat

Slow_boat

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A couple of weeks ago we were in Aurdierne, Brittany, when the remains of hurrican Bertha came through. Swmbo heard her back crack as she was trying to haul on the stern line of the much bigger boat rafted alongside. She's had a bad back before, which usually sets itself right after a few days of ibuprophen and heat pads. Not this time. We made it to Port Louise, Lorient, a week later and she was in so much pain I called an ambulance. She was airlifted to hospital and after three days of CT scan, MRI scan etc had been fitted with a hard plastic boddice, orders not to sail in bad weather and a prescription for morphine tablets. It turns out she has osteo-arthritis and has cracked a vertebrea in her spine. Not only that, but her previous back problems were because she had cracked 5 others before. Why her own doctor didn't figure that out, I don't know.

Anyway, we have no health insurance for cruising so I was a bit worried about how to pay. They just took details of her EU health card and were quite happy. No charge!

It does mean we may have to knock the sailing on the head, though. At least for this year.

Oh, well. The Villaine River isn't far away.

Full marks to the French health service and the EU card!
 
My experience is from many years ago but just as good. I had been suffering with lower back and leg problems for a while but without much help from the NHS. While in France I had a severe attack of sciatica that prevented me even from standing up without massive pain. Once my family got me to the doctor I was treated with various medications and never had the problem again. Difficult to understand how a suppository can fix that but it definitely did!
 
Slow_boat said:
A couple of weeks ago we were in Aurdierne, Brittany, when the remains of hurrican Bertha came through. Swmbo heard her back crack as she was trying to haul on the stern line of the much bigger boat rafted alongside. She's had a bad back before, which usually sets itself right after a few days of ibuprophen and heat pads. Not this time. We made it to Port Louise, Lorient, a week later and she was in so much pain I called an ambulance. She was airlifted to hospital and after three days of CT scan, MRI scan etc had been fitted with a hard plastic boddice, orders not to sail in bad weather and a prescription for morphine tablets. It turns out she has osteo-arthritis and has cracked a vertebrea in her spine. Not only that, but her previous back problems were because she had cracked 5 others before. Why her own doctor didn't figure that out, I don't know.

Anyway, we have no health insurance for cruising so I was a bit worried about how to pay. They just took details of her EU health card and were quite happy. No charge!

It does mean we may have to knock the sailing on the head, though. At least for this year.

Oh, well. The Villaine River isn't far away.

Full marks to the French health service and the EU card!
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Glad to hear that you were well treated.

My sister is a medic who always praised the NHS but she was gob- smacked when I took her around some French facilities.
 
So glad to hear that your wife got good treatment. We spend several months a year in France and so far have not had to use the health service. However, a friend who lives there also praises the system. He had chest pains and was in hospital within an hour or so and operated on same day. Great recovery - great result.

And if I may add, another good reason to stay in the EU

PS if you get to the Villaine, PM me. We are based there and will be in France Sept/Oct and could meet up for a beer.
 
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