Doctor doctor

I have to say (as most of you know), that I love Spain. Love it. That does not mean that I'm not a little bit perplexed by some things. I am a dumn foreigner after all.

Things that have perplexed me...

- That it took me an entire day filled with bureacracy. paperwork, passports and visits to three different social security offices, the Town Hall and the local Council, and then the doctors, just to get me and the kids registered at the local health centre. People have told me the NHS in Spain is fantastic and that people come from within the EU to get treatment here, so I suppose it's not surprising that they're very careful about who they let sign up, and that you they know 100% that you are who you are! So I went to one social security office who told me that no, I had to go to another one (and the Council first), then I went to the Council who told me I had to 'empadronar' us, ie. register everyone who lives at our address. I couldn't get the kids' social security numbers until I'd done this.

Then the Council told me no, I needed an appointment first. This was not good, as I can't get to the offices during their working hours as I don't get back until 6pm and they close at 5pm. As I was off work with a chest infection (and struggling to talk!), I had to get all this done in one day whilst I was off work. I pleaded with the woman at the desk, that my kids had been sick for a week (true), and I needed to see the bloomin' doctor! She relented and said OK I could go to another Council building where you didn't need appoinments.

This building was in the middle of nowhere. I phoned Andy and asked him to google map it. He told me the road was tiny, and I'd never find it if I jumped the bus, so I got a taxi and he didn't know where it was either, hurrah. After him stopping the meter, and studying the map for 10 minutes, he reckoned he could find it, and he did, and I got there just before they closed yay!

With us now all 'empadronado', I could go to the social security office and get the numbers for D and J. Apparently as I'm working, they don't need separate numbers but they get affiliated to my number. When I got there they told me that they couldn't affiliate D and J to my number because they do not have NIE (foreigner residency numbers) yet. Noooo I say but their appointments aren't until March, as that was the next available free slots! So what can I do. The woman disappears. I am yet again close to tears. I just want to go to the doctors! She returns and says it's OK they can have separate numbers for now and then when they have their foreigner numbers you can return and affiliate them to you.

So I have my empadronamiento documents, I have our social security numbers, I have our passports and their birth certificates (just in case!-although they caused the Council woman some confusion as they were born in Portugal but are British), and I have a sore shoulder from my bag weighing my left shoulder down. I get to the health centre and hooray the guy lets us all register. He tells me some other really important information which unfortunately I don't understand because he speaks really quickly and my Spanish is still beginner. I try to make us appointments and we are all allowed to go the next day. Wow, the next day, I don't remember being able to get appointments that quickly in the UK! and we're all sorted...except, mum is also sick, with the same thing I have and she only has a European Health Insurance card. Do these things actually work? Has anyone actually tried it?

Mum is allowed to see the doctor at the same time as me, we traipse in (with the kids and the buggies, we look like the fricking Waltons), and the doctor sees me then her, but she can't get her prescription for the much-needed antibiotics as she doesn't have her passport with her so she can't get registered. We're going back tomorrow to register her and I think it's all ok now.

So the moral of the story is. Take your passport with you everywhere. You are nothing without it (and the authorities will all eye you up suspiciously, I mean honestly, who goes out without ID on them these days tut!).

...and don't get sick! (just kidding).

Ps. I did have some more things to add that perplex me, but I got sidetracked by the whole Dr thing. I will write another column.

PPS. I just want to add that all the Spanish people I dealt with were absolutely lovely and helpful, especially the doctor's receptionist who we must have really annoyed, because there was a big queue of people behind and it took ages to sort us out, yet she was so nice and patient. So top marks to Spanish people for being so nice!!

Byeee!