Doctors and Hospitals Facility in Barcelona
The quality of Spanish medical care is considered very high as most doctors are well-trained and often have international experience.
Spain works on a two-tier medical system. There are those doctors who practise in public clinics and those who practise privately. These are the ones you will either be able to pay for independently (a doctors visit in Spain will cost around €90) or have your private health insurance cover. Doctors tend to be affiliated with particular hospitals, although in allegiance to the former socialistic Catalan practice of universal care for all, many private doctors in Barcelona make themselves available through public hospitals as well.
If you know your doctor well, and live in a quieter town rather than a major city, there is a good chance he or she will make house calls. This is not a standard practise. If you have private insurance, however, some policies include having a doctor come to your house.
Interestingly, many people in Spain don´t bother making a doctors appointment when they are unwell. Instead, they visit their local pharmacist. Pharmacists in Spain are trained to almost the same degree of knowledge as a General Practitioner – and you don´t have to pay for their advice or make appointments. Also, by law every locality in Spain must have at least one pharmacy open 24 hours, so there will always be medical advice near you when you need it.
