Can’t see a GP on the Costas? What a video consultation can and can’t handle

From winter bugs to repeat prescriptions, many everyday health problems can now be dealt with from home, in English. A Spanish-licensed GP explains where online care helps, and where it doesn’t.

For many international residents in Spain, the hardest part of getting ill isn’t the illness. It’s working out where to go, how long the wait will be and whether anyone will understand you when you get there. With winter viruses circulating and health centres busy, more people are turning to private online consultations to fill the gap.

Dr Pedro Yelamo Vera, a GP licensed in Spain who offers a 15-minute urgent video consultation in English and Spanish, says the key is knowing which problems are suitable.

“Online care is excellent for common, non-emergency problems where a careful conversation is most of the consultation,” he says. “It is not a replacement for emergency care, and a good online doctor will always tell you when you need to be seen in person.”

What a video consultation can handle

According to Dr Yelamo, video is well suited to:

• Coughs, colds, flu-like illness and sore throats without warning signs
• Urinary infections and cystitis
• Conjunctivitis, styes and minor eye irritation
• Rashes, insect bites and minor skin infections
• Stomach upsets and travellers’ diarrhoea without dehydration
• Questions about a medicine, side effects or a symptom that isn’t settling

Consultations cost €50 and run every day from 07:30 to 20:30. If treatment is clinically appropriate, a private electronic prescription can be issued and collected at any pharmacy in Spain, though a prescription is never guaranteed. Patients receive an itemised invoice and a medical report for their insurer, which decides on any reimbursement.

And what it can’t

Call 112 or go straight to A&E (urgencias) for chest pain, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness or facial drooping, severe abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, or confusion.

“If you are asking yourself whether something might be an emergency, call 112. You can ask for help in English,” Dr Yelamo says.

Some problems also need hands-on examination or tests, such as a suspected fracture, a wound that may need stitches, or a lump that needs scanning. In those cases, an online doctor can advise you where to go and what to ask for, but cannot replace that visit.

Repeat prescriptions and paperwork without a video call

Not every request needs a face-to-face conversation. Renewing a stable medicine, understanding a blood test or getting a referral letter for your insurer often just needs a clear question and a clear answer.

For these, Dr Yelamo has introduced a written eConsult. Patients pick the type of request, answer a few questions in a secure form and receive a written reply. It costs €30 and is refunded in full if he declines the request; if he needs to see the patient, he suggests a video consultation instead. Requests are read daily, but with no guaranteed reply time, so anything urgent should go to a video appointment or, in an emergency, to 112.

Tips for staying on top of your health in Spain

• Carry an up-to-date list of your medicines (with generic names), doses and allergies, ideally in English and Spanish.
• If you are registered in the public system, keep using your health centre for vaccinations and long-term care.
• Check what your private or travel insurance covers before you need it.
• Save 112 in your phone and teach visiting family to use it.

Dr Pedro Yelamo Vera is a general practitioner licensed in Spain (Official College of Physicians of Bizkaia, no. 484814280), offering video and written consultations in English and Spanish.

This article is for general information only and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your health. In an emergency, call 112