Specialised Care

The Spanish healthcare system offers two levels of care to its patients: primary care, and specialised care. Primary healthcare includes all basic medical assistance, such as medical consultations and check ups. Specialised care is complementary to the care given by primary care practitioners; as the name suggests, the specialised care level offers patients specialised care for specific diseases or disorders. Specialised care is typically provided by specialist practitioners, but may be offered in local medical centres, specialist clinics, or hospitals, depending on the treatment involved.

Specialist care is offered to all patients, regardless of whether they have private medical insurance or not. If you have private medical insurance you may be entitled to make an appointment directly with a specialist at no extra charge: without private insurance, a direct appointment will typically incur high charges. If you do not have private medical insurance and do not wish to pay for specialised care, you will need a referral from your regular doctor.

If you make an appointment with your usual doctor and explain your symptoms, they will be able to recommend specialist treatment or a specialist who can investigate your complaint further. They will give you a letter of referral which entitles you to specialist care free of charge, but you may need to wait for an appointment with a specialist practitioner.