A doctor has cast doubt on claims that foreign patients in Andalucia who cannot speak fluent Spanish must have interpreters from 2026.
The letter, shared on various expat groups on Facebook, says that from January 1 next year, any foreign national who ‘does not speak Spanish fluently’ will be obliged to bring a translator to their appointments.
This, the notice claims, is to ‘ensure safe, clear, and high-quality healthcare, guaranteeing proper understanding of medical information and avoiding errors in diagnosis or treatment.’
However, a family doctor in Sevilla told the Spanish Eye today that, as far as he is aware, the notice is ‘not true.’
‘I’m very sure this is a lie,’ he said, ‘If you cannot understand your doctor, there is already a telephone in the office and a number you can call for a translator 24/7, in any language, so this notice cannot be true.
‘I think it’s totally fake, if it was true, you would find an update on the Junta de Andalucia’s official bulletin.’
He added that he has received no such information from his superiors.
The Spanish Eye could not find any such notice or update issued by the Junta or the regional health service (SAS).
If the photos of notices are genuine, it could suggest that local clinics are taking matters into their own hands in a bid to speed up appointments for non-Spanish speaking patients.
However, they do not have the legal recourse to deny patients care due to them not speaking Spanish.
The Spanish Eye has contacted the Junta and SAS for comment.
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