Access to a doctor

What is the current arrangements if you need to visit your local health centre to see a doctor? My local health centre opens its doors but then barricades the door entrance with chairs from the waiting room. This seems bizarre. I suppose they can say they are open, but no one can get in.

You don't say where you are but we have two ways to access a GP here.

First is to be signed up to the Torrevieja health portal and you can then send a message asking for advice or a repeat prescription or an appointment. The GP will then get back to you if you need an appointment.

Second is simply to telephone the surgery and the receptionist will give you an appointment if necessary with a time to turn up. They then open the door for you. The receptionist can also update a repeat prescription or patch you through to a nurse or the GP if required.

If you simply turn up then they will not let you in. You must have a pre-booked appointment.

Hi there Mariedav and thank you so much for your interest and advice. As with so many things in Spain all is well until complications happen and you don’t speak good Spanish well. I use to use Marie over the road as a translator but due to social distancing cannot use her at the moment.

I am in Costa Blanca Spain, is the procedures different throughout Spain?

So are you saying if I get a Spanish speaker to get me an appointment the health centre will take down the barricade of chairs?  Perhaps they could just respond to the bell and unlock the door, a bit more civilised or would that spoil the fun.

If you are on the Costa Blanca then  you can register with torrevieja-salud.com as it covers quite a large area.

You will need  your SIP card number and NIE (ignore the first digit of the SIP card) plus a Spanish mobile phone and register. They will send you a password and you can log on to Yo Salud. You then  change the  password the first time.

From there, you can send a message which will go straight to the GP you are registered with.

If you didn't have a pre-arranged appointment, then loads of people could turn up and you wouldn't really want to go to a surgery full of ill people at the moment. Hence the need for the appointment in advance.

Our surgery doesn't have a  barricade of chairs but the doors are locked. Before they'll let you in you have to confirm the appointment has been made. 

Thank you Mariedav, sorry to be a pain.

I have tried to register at https://extranetsalud.torrevieja-salud.com/RegistroUsuario/Index  but no luck, nothing new for me. When I try to register with complete SIP number or missing first number off I get.

Validation error

Visit your centre to update your data, since it does not coincide with your data file.

 It does not ask for NIE.

Suppose it means visit you’re barricaded up health centre. Is this all a Jeremy Beadle stunt?