medical abroad

[drewstwos]

Here's a question to those of you who have spent time living aboard and going foreign, particularly in the Med. If you need preventive medication for some ongoing problem. how do you cope with that when away form the NHS. I know there is the E111 form but if you are not going back to the UK for couple of years, what happens?

 

[peteandthira]

Yes, what happens? I am about to do that too! Help!

 

[Talbot]

When I needed more pills in Australia, I went to the local doctors surgery , saw the doc (had to pay) and showed him empty pill bottle - got a new prescription (had to pay some more!)

 

[jerryat]

Don't know your plans, but when we cruised the Med. for a few years, we flew back to the UK about twice a year. Very cheap flights made this a sensible idea to deal with the host of things you need to keep an eye on e.g. property, banking, E111's, spares, seeing family and friends etc etc.

Updating your E111 can be done virtually immediately so doesn't become a problem. Our experience (well actually those of other cruising friends) was that in Spain at least, hospital care was immediate, effective, excellent and free. One of our friends was, for example, diagnosed with a cancer. That was on a Wednesday. By the following Thursday she had been admitted to hospital, operated on (successfully!) and was in a two-bed ward recovering.

The costs, for some of the drugs, was minimal - the care superb, and she made a full recovery.

This was Spain three years ago and things may have changed. It may well be different in other countries too, but contrary to the beliefs of many, the E111 has catered for virtually all of the medical needs of cruising friends throughout their Med. cruises.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[peteandthira]

Jerryat

Do you need to pretend to be on holiday for an E111 to work?

 

[BrendanS]

E111 Warning

E111 was done away with, with effect from Dec 2004, so if you are relying on that for medical aid whilst abroad, you'd better hope the hospitals and doctors you are visiting are as out of date on information. What happens in the interim is that you use interim forms valid until Aug 2005

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?page...d=1099140615954

 

[Steve Clayton]

We have managed to get six months prescriptions on one UK prescription (and only pay for one months' /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif). In Spain then it is possible to buy pills, medications, etc . which are only available in the UK by prescription, over the counter.

One way (in Spain) is to keep your UK prescription, have it translated, take it into a pharmacy, and they just give you the medicine for a small fee (ssshhhh! don't tell anybody /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

 

[ccscott49]

Re: E111 Warning

E111 was not done away with, but modified. They will replace it, with another system, but at the moment it is still operating. Apart from that it works well in Portugal, Spain, italy and France, other places I dont know about. You can also get medical insurance from BUPA or other companies. Prescription drugs are easy in Spain,\ if you have the original packaging, they will give most drugs over the counter without a presciption, ones that are only on Spainish prescrition you will need to see a doctor and pay, or go to the hospital and see one free, but might be a long wait. Medicines seem to be cheaper in Spain and portugal. Aaprt from that you can get your UK doctor to prescribe a bunch of medication for you.

 

[jerryat]

Hi Pops,

'Do you need to pretend to be on holiday for an E111 to work?'

No. At least we never did and weren't asked. The E111 was valid for a period (I think two/three years) and we just kept th eoriginals with us wherever we went.

As ccscott49 says, the E111 has been modified now and is, as I understand it, now available in it's new form. Because we are back in the UK at the moment, we have not yet applied for the new version though understand it covers much the same ground.

As others have said, drugs that are strictly prescription here are available 'over the counter' perfectly legally in any phamacia. For example, a couple of my friends suffer from occasional asthma and use Ventolin - only obtainable here via prescription at the huge standard cost. In Spain (for example) it was about 1/3 the price and available in any quantity, so they used to 'stock up' when returning to the UK to save money.

Frankly, those that say that cruising is a healthy lifestyle are quite correct. I do appreciate that accidents can and will happen, but our experience was that we never felt healthier during our seven years living aboard and actually never had a single days illness. Probably dicing with the Devil, but it's a simple fact!!!

One of my best friends is my doctor, who provided us with a really excellent medical 'chest' with just about everything you could think of at a fab cost. In the event, we didn't use ANY of it except the odd plaster for a cut finger and most of it is now out of date!!

Hope it'll be the same for you and yours.

Cheers Jerry

 

[peteandthira]

Jerryat

Ta for all that. SWMBO is doing a first aid course for explorers and voyagers soon and will be promoted to Ships Doctor forthwith. She will then set up the boat first aid kit and we'll probably just hope for the best along with whatever the E111 becomes. As you say, hopefully the fresh air and salt will keep most ailments at bay.

Best wishes

Pops

 

[PhilipH]

Where is SWMBO doing the explorers/voyagers first aid course - my SWMBO is a qualified first aider at her work but this sounds like an upgrade - it's very important that she can fix me if I break.