Working in Germany - Healthcare

[rogerfederer]

Hello.
I am genuinely asking this for a female friend who is currently working over in Bavaria - can't post in general for obvious reasons. She was a seasoned contractor I worked with in London but is now in Germany.

They have taken a permanent public sector job. Very unwell for two weeks and have complained that getting to speak to an English speaking doctor has been a true nightmare, to the extent that they have considered quitting. They very nearly had sepsis due to inability to register and speak with an English speaking doctor, although I have trouble believing doctors don't speak English over there.

They're with a major healthcare insurer, as is mostly the case in Germany. Do any of our German temporary or permanent residents have any advice to help this person? Should ALL contact for registering with a recommended doctor be through the insurance company? Is it a case of phoning various local GP surgeries to register until you find one that has a doctor registered as communicating in English?

Thanks in advance folks.

[darmstadt]

Hello.
I am genuinely asking this for a female friend who is currently working over in Bavaria - can't post in general for obvious reasons. She was a seasoned contractor I worked with in London but is now in Germany.

They have taken a permanent public sector job. Very unwell for two weeks and have complained that getting to speak to an English speaking doctor has been a true nightmare, to the extent that they have considered quitting. They very nearly had sepsis due to inability to register and speak with an English speaking doctor, although I have trouble believing doctors don't speak English over there.

They're with a major healthcare insurer, as is mostly the case in Germany. Do any of our German temporary or permanent residents have any advice to help this person? Should ALL contact for registering with a recommended doctor be through the insurance company? Is it a case of phoning various local GP surgeries to register until you find one that has a doctor registered as communicating in English?

Thanks in advance folks.

You just ring around and find a GP who will take you and can chop and change anytime you want. You might want to ask on Toytown about English speaking doctors and provide the area she's in, someone will be bound to answer.

[GhostofTarbera]

Has she tried shouting really loud in English at thee Germans, surly they would understand English then ?

Alternatively she could learn German in Germany

Or get a translator

Or fly home on next flight

Or get a video English doctor (that’s what I would do, same hour service for £50)

Or simply whinge about it


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[NotAllThere]

Bavaria is special.

[MasterBait]

Hello.
I have trouble believing doctors don't speak English over there.

How many doctors speak German in the UK?

[RasputinDude]

It's not normally the doctors that are the problem. Most of them will speak English in my experience. The problem is the receptionists and they are the gatekeepers to the doctors. She could ask her health insurer for help in finding an English speaking doctor but if she's in city I would be amazed if there aren't doctors advertising their English speaking credentials.

Does she have a friendly German that can make some phone calls for her? It's hard, but it does get easier as you learn the system.

[FrankyFingers]

I also find it hard to believe that she can't find a Dr that speaks English. I work in Germany from time to time and even the guys who work in the kebab shops can speak three languages.

[darmstadt]

One thing does come seem strange, if she has taken a permanent public sector job, how did she get through all the paperwork and other peripheral stuff without speaking German? Most of the public sector workers I have come across don't speak English and none of the paperwork is in English either.

[rogerfederer]

Thanks for all the replies, except Tarbera, who still appears to be a twit ( No course teaches you the intricacies of how to describe complex medical symptoms, you absolute bell-end) and MasterBait who seems to be a moron. You two should go for a coffee, might it off - who knows?

She had sepsis, so fussing over a German language course at that point is blatantly not on; the reason for my posting in the 'Business' section in the first place. No course teaches you the intricacies of how to describe complex medical symptoms, you absolute bell-end.

If you're in an elevated position in the UK it's easy enough to go work with senior public sector collaboration area in Germany. Think defense, NATO, European Commission, etc.

She's in hospital now after pursuing three specific GP surgeries with German-speaking receptions, as Darmstadt correctly mentioned: they aren't keen on English speakers with weak/no German. In a sudden emergency a newbie to a country isn't going to understand the complexities of a system and just wants help, which I can empathise with. Try it some time, Tarbera Streisand.

[GhostofTarbera]

The German for sepsis is sepsis for future reference


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