When I first moved to Spain, my biggest worry was what to do if my child got sick. Not knowing the language or the system was a terrifying thought. A few years in, we’ve been through our share of illnesses with our little one, from late-night fevers requiring an ER visit to booking specialist appointments. We’ve experienced both the public and private systems. Today, as a regular parent, I’m sharing our real experiences with child healthcare in Spain, hoping to offer some reassurance to fellow parents with the same anxieties.
Public vs. Private: How to Choose?
This is probably a dilemma for everyone. Simply put, the biggest advantage of public healthcare is that it’s free, with broad coverage and subsidies on many medications. The downside? Except for emergencies, the waiting time to see a specialist is incredibly long
! A routine check-up might take weeks or even months to book. The main benefit of private healthcare is speed; you can usually see a specialist on the same day you book. The service and environment are also better. Of course, this requires purchasing private insurance, which is a significant expense. Our family uses a combination of both. For minor colds and fevers, we go to our local public health center. For anything more urgent or if we want to see a specialist quickly, we use our private insurance.
The Emergency Room Experience
A child’s illness is most frightening when it happens suddenly in the middle of the night. I’ve taken my child to the ER twice, once public and once private. The process is basically the same: you register at the front desk, a nurse performs an initial triage, gives you a colored wristband based on the urgency of the condition, and then you wait to be called. The waiting area in a public hospital ER can be packed, and a two or three-hour wait is the norm. The private hospital was much less crowded, and we saw a doctor within half an hour. However, whether public or private, doctors in Spain are very cautious about prescribing antibiotics for children, which is quite different from back home. They are also very thorough with children’s health check-ups
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| Healthcare System | Pros | Cons |
|---|
| Public Healthcare | Free, medication is subsidized | Long waiting times, slow to book specialists |
| Private Healthcare | Fast, better service and environment | Requires private insurance, high cost |
Routine Appointments and Getting Medication
In Spain, every child is assigned a family doctor and a pediatrician at their local community health center (centro de salud). For regular appointments or vaccinations, you can just book online or via an app. After the consultation, the doctor issues an electronic prescription. You can then take your health card to any pharmacy to get the medication, which is very convenient. It’s important to note that many medications require a prescription and cannot be bought over the counter. So, it’s a good idea to keep some non-prescription medicines at home, like Apiretal or Dalsy, for emergencies.
Overall, Spain’s pediatric healthcare system is quite comprehensive and user-friendly. Although the waiting times in the public system can be frustrating, the quality of medical care and service is reliable. For us parents living abroad, understanding the process beforehand and having the right insurance can make a stressful situation much more manageable. I wish all your little ones good health and hope you’ll never have to use this article!
