New doctor at Mojacar health centre

John99andrew wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 10:38am:

We have been registered at Mojacar health centre for the last 4 years, our regular doctor as left, and they have replaced here with a new doctor she is not very helpfull and basically rude, my Spanish is basic but I do try but she was not helpful in the least, (it was if she does not like English...

Read more...

... people) ,I know a lot of people will say learn Spanish which I am doing you carnt become fluent over night, the previous doctor was very understanding if she is going to be the regular doctor we may have to consider changing doctors.

Airtaine wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 10:57am:

THESE rants are getting old and tiresome. 

Until you become fluent in Spanish, if ever, and if you need to attend a doctor's appointment BRING a translator. Expecting a doctor to speak English in SPAIN is ludicrous. If a Spaniard pitches up in a hospital in Newcastle to see a NHS doctor what's the odds of that working out? ...

Read more...

...

The doctor in the center may seem rude but have you ever thought that they are under pressure over worked and do not have time for all the Googe translate nonsense?  They and you are in Spain where the language is Spanish. DUH!

My Spanish is passable BUT I never go to a public doctor, which I am assuming you are going to, and it's on the public system, it is free correct? A translator costs around 20 to 30 euro a private doctor who speaks English will cost you 60 or up so give up a few beers, wines or your weekly roast dinner at Scotty's if you need to pay for a translator but do not blame the system or the doctor for their lack of English. 

Do you think the German, Dutch or French expect the doctors to speak their language? 

John99andrew wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 2:34pm:

Wow what a angry little man you are, for the last 2 years the doctor we had could speak some English so we used to manage between us, we didn’t use a translator because that way you are just sitting back for them to speak for you, witch is not helping you to learn Spanish, to get your fact righ...

Read more...

...t we don’t go in scottys or jimmys or any other bars where English go because we would rather try to integrate with the Spanish so don’t assume everyone is the same,

We went to see the doctor and the new one was not even interested in dealing with me in my Brocken Spanish, as I say the only way to learn is to try if you make a mistake at least you have had a go, as they say you learn by your mistakes 

So next time you jump in think about it first

Airtaine wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 5:03pm:

Angry little man?

Wow, that escalated quickly. I’m not angry, just realistic. Nobody criticized you for trying to learn Spanish — most of us learned the same way, by speaking broken Spanish and making mistakes.

My point was about the tone of the original post. Whether you intended it or not, it reads a ...

Read more...

...bit like an entitled rant: the doctor is called rude straight away and then there’s the suggestion she “doesn’t like English people.” That’s a big assumption about someone probably working flat out in a busy public health center. 

Your previous doctor speaking some English was helpful, but that’s a bonus, not something the Spanish health system is required to provide. Doctors here work in Spanish. Your post comes across as you expect them to have the time speak Spanglish. 

And for the record, I wasn’t analyzing your bar habits , it was a general comment about the same debate that pops up in these groups every week.

Trying to speak Spanish is great, but ultimately the responsibility to communicate in Spain sits with us, not the Spanish healthcare system. 👍

John99andrew wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 6:16pm:

give up a few beers, wines or your weekly roast dinner at Scotty's if you need to pay for a translator 

You comment not mine 

Read more...

No more comments please 

Airtaine wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 9:43pm:

 I have just one question, what was the point of your post please?

John99andrew wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 10:38am:

We have been registered at Mojacar health centre for the last 4 years, our regular doctor as left, and they have replaced here with a new doctor she is not very helpfull and basically rude, my Spanish is basic but I do try but she was not helpful in the least, (it was if she does not like English...

Read more...

... people) ,I know a lot of people will say learn Spanish which I am doing you carnt become fluent over night, the previous doctor was very understanding if she is going to be the regular doctor we may have to consider changing doctors.

DarioMartin wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 10:39pm:

I know a lot of native English speakers often consider Spanish people rude - but they really aren’t; direct and abrupt yes, but not rude.  We often mistake cultural differences for “rudeness” and it really isn’t.

I know through experience that Native Spanish Speakers don’t drop “por favor” (or more usually “porfa” round here) on every sentence, nor is there “gracias” unless you’ve really done a service worthy of it....

Read more...

...

Changing Doctor is going to be a “crapshoot” if your Spanish isn’t st least conversational and you could find you end up with an even less understanding Doctor,  she’s new. Give her a chance, let her settle in and don’t rush to nonsensical “she doesn’t like English” judgments.

Doctors in Spain go through a great deal to get where they are and GP here is a specialisation that means your doctor came within the top 5.000 people that sat the medical boards the year she qualified 

John99andrew wrote on Thu Mar 12, 2026 10:55pm:

Hello Dario, thanks for your comment what you said is right, we are used to it, not just Spanish but other nationalities also that does not bother me it just goes over the top of my head now, but this doctor had a really bad attitude and would not even let me try my Spanish she just dismissed me ...

Read more...

...completely.