In the event of a medical emergency in France

Please be careful going to Europe. The EHIC card does not replace insurance. As has already been said, it only entitles you to what the locals get free. For example, in Switzerland it covers only 10% of the bill. The Swiss take out insurance to cover the rest.

Many thanks to everyone for your helpful replies. I hope that we won't need emergency assistance, but I can rest easy now that I have the information to hand.

Sorry,that was a bit rushed. You have to pay 15 euros (cash not cards) to visit the emergency department, most of the doctors speak English and if not there will be someone around who does. The care is excellent and they are unfailingly kind. I'm in the Algarve myself so if I can help anymore pm me either before you go or when you are here. Enjoy your holiday.

janthea Yes the emergency number in Portugal is 112.

I know someone who had a serious car accident. Although the money was eventually repaid by the insurance of the guilty party, she said she would have been in terrible trouble without her top-up to pay for all the physio, occupational therapy, special equipment that she needed immediately. I wouldn't care to be without the top-up myself.

I don't bother with complete top-up insurance in France (I get back 70% of my payments for visits to the GP and my bp tablets) as I have no serious health problems and see my doctor only twice a year. I pay about €36 a month to a private scheme to cover all the costs of in-patient treatment as even 30% could be very costly if I ever needed an operation. I hope it is wasted money - but that is true of all insurance, isn't it?
It took me some time to get used to a doctor with no receptionist or secretary, to having to arrange my own blood tests with an analytic laboratory, taking along the letter from my doctor, and to having to get a prescription for the flu jab from my doctor, take it to the pharmacy, and then make my own arrangements with a nurse to have it administered.
I have been very happy with the French health system, but I know the social contributions fall very heavily on people running businesses.

The French health service is good, but it is very expensive. You pay a huge amount in contributions when working (half of everything we took from small our business for health and pension contribution) and then we pay 150€ a month in top-up insurance for the 30% that the state doesn't pay.
It is also deeply in debt.

Sorry, that was a bit after 2001, when she went in for further surgery. Don;t think there was any charge in 2001.

I should also point out the only charge, back in 2001, was six euros a day, for food.

The French medical system is terrific: my sister had a liver and kidney transplant (genetic condition of which I have the benign version), and her care was great. Her anti-rejection drugs are all free, possibly because she has a chronic condition.

Beware when buying the EHIC online - there are companies who charge for this and also pay to be the first site that comes up on google etc. Please note - you can get this card online free from the Dept of Health site!! I speak as one who fell for the trap! Grrr!

We had good treatment in France when my Dad (then 85) fell and broke his arm badly, needing surgery. The only hicough was when he was discharged and we were told his dressings needed to be done by the district nurse at the gite on a certain day - what they did not say was that we needed to ring the DN and make this arrangement ourselves - we stayed in all day (it happened to be my birthday!) waiting for her to appear. In the end we dispensed with her as OH is retired doc and he did the business.

You're quite right, when, I am out of date as usual must be getting old about the EHIC, not E111 . janthea the booklet I was mentioning, which probably doesn't exist now, had details of emergency numbers as well as how to avoid being sent to a private hospital by mistake and how to go about paying and/or claiming for your treatment for each country,and I'm sure the information must be online.

In France firemen are trained as paramedics. For routine ambulance requirements you contact your local private ambulance company and book an ambulance, rather like a taxi. Emergency ambulance services are provided by the Fire Service.

When our GD was 1 we had to take her to the local A&E when she had a sudden allergic reaction. We drove her there as it was quicker than calling an ambulance and were really impressed by the service. We arrived in A&E and were sent directly to the paediatric department where she was seen within minutes by two paediatric doctors.who gave her a very thorough examination, some medication and reassured us that although very sudden the reaction was mild and she would be back to normal within hours.

I have the EHIC, but just wondered about emergency numbers in Portugal and whether 112 is the one to use.

15 is the number for medical emergencies, 17 for the police and 18 for the fire brigade (pompiers). If you get the wrong one they should put you through to the correct one. Confusingly in the countryside it can be the fire brigade who arrive for medical emergencies. One of our neighbours had a heart attack, the firemen arrived, gave the correct treatment and then took him to hospital.
The firemen come round every Christmas (they are mostly volunteers) for a contribution and we make sure we give generously (!).
I think though that the original answer of phoning 112 is the best one.

It's the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) now. Mine's just arrived in the post five minutes ago.

If you go to EU countries, take an E111 card for everybody so that you will be entitled, as an EU citizen, to treatment on the same basis as people who live in the country you are going to. There used to be a very useful booklet which went with the E111, and which you could get at the Post office, which told you what the arrangements were for different EU countries. I don't know if you can still get the booklet, but you should be able to get the information online. (Sorry, haven't looked it up before posting, but try googling E111 and see what happens.)

Would that number work in Portugal? I'm off on hols with my daughter, son in law and grandchildren for a week.

The local number is 15, but 112 is international.
If you need to call the emergency services in France, you will get wonderful service. When my daughter became ill when visiting me the paramedics arrived in 20 minutes, at my isolated village high in the Pyrennees, closely followed by my GP and then a helicopter which landed on the nearest field. She was taken to Carcassonne hospital and treated at once. She stayed in overnight and there was a little bed in her room so I could stay with her. We had dinner and breakfast the next morning. The only charge was €23 for my meals!
Incidentally, she needed the treatment because she had been left in a bad condition following laser treatment at the dreaded Kent and Canterbury hospital.

Thank you Tanith.

I stand to be corrected but I thought the number in France for a medical emergency is 112 and you can ask for an operator that speaks English. There are other numbers but this one can be used from a mobile. Don't forget you will need to know exactly where you are too.