I had to call into the local health centre today. After being registered for three years, 100% legally, all taxes paid, etc., I am told that I am not covered by the Spanish health service, and I have to go to England for a doctors visit.

Excuse me??? I haven’t lived in England for five years, I don’t have anywhere to stay there, and I haven’t paid anything into the UK system for all that time - I have paid into the Spanish system.

So why am I no longer registered? Who knows? The office certainly don’t.

I know the routine. I either come back tomorrow, and see if someone else is on the desk - which will probably get me a different opinion - or I can stand here and not move. Today, I am in a “not moving” frame of mind.

So after 10 minutes discussion, whilst the queue behind me gets longer and longer, I am told that, if I sign a “change of doctor” form, they will allocate me a doctor. “Can I change to Doctor G.?”, I ask. “Yes, no problem”. So I fill out the form, change my doctor to Doctor G - the doctor I have been registered with for the last couple of years already - and everyone is happy.

I hand the form in, and the clerk says, “Oh, aren’t you already registered with Doctor G.?” “Yes”, I reply, “is that a problem?”. “No”, she says, “thank you, that’s fine”.

Another major issue is sorted, and I am back where I was yesterday, legally registered, as I was always entitled to be, with the doctor I want to be with. And all is well with the world.