Going on holiday

[Cardsharp1946]

I have pulmonary fibrosis and I am oxygen I will be going to spain shortly will I be able to have an oxygen concentrator through ehic

[HuwieHex]

From the Gov.UK website Healthcare in Spain:

"If you need to receive oxygen therapy during a temporary visit to Spain, you must request it in advance, in writing, from the Spanish authorities. You should send this request at least one month before you are due to travel.

Oxygen therapy needs to be arranged by customers directly with the Spanish authorities. The Healthcare Teams at the British consulates provide a list of contacts and a template letter in Spanish on the Healthcare in Spain website to help you make these arrangements.

Once you have sent the oxygen request directly to the Spanish authorities, it is your responsibility to then follow up with the relevant oxygen provider to confirm your request has been processed."

There have been suggestions recently that Spain is cutting down on healthcare provision because of economic problems, so all may well not be straightforward.

Do you need inflight oxygen? If so, have you arranged it with the Airline? (Assuming that you are flying). And you won't be relying totally on the EHIC for medical cover?

[Sooki]

I am fortunate to have a POC provided by my oxygen supplier,you can hire.A POC look on the web,not cheap.if you do not need O2 in flight then you would just need to notify your airline that you are taking one on board,it's not counted as part of your luggage,however if you need a fit to fly and 02 on board there are a lot of hoops to jump through,I am off to Spain next week myself,some airlines you can download a form,other require a letter from your consultant,answering questions they give you(Thomson airways),then u can book special assistance with them,first on plane then last off,HuwieHex suggested not relying on your EHIC, I am aware that's not ideal,I have been on the phone all week looking for insurance the prices are horrendous several hundred pounds,speaking to my ILD nurse she suggest you make yourself aware of the nearest public hospital to where u are staying,I lived in Spain several years ago and friends who had cause to use the hospitals found them to be very good.Make sure you take medication with you,especially emergency antibiotics,I always take some spares with me,and one of my letters from the hospital showing my condition,sorry this is so long,and if you take pirfenidone 50 factor sun cream.Please message me if you need any more answers.I have Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.Sooki.

[jenss in reply to Sooki]

Hi Sooki, so glad to hear of your holiday in Spain. I hope you will have a great time. Travel safe and have funxxx

[Dedalus in reply to Sooki]

Sorry for my ignorance, but is the POC no good for in-flight oxygen, if needed?

[Sooki in reply to Dedalus]

Yes it is I am using mine,but you must have enough batteries to cover 150% of the journey in case of delays,would be difficult in a long haul flight,you still need all the above info in my first post to use your own POC,spare batteries are very expensive,most airlines now do not charge for in flight oxygen,some still do about £100 each way.I need my 02 for walking about so I am using my own.Sooki

[Dedalus in reply to Sooki]

Thanks so much for that Sooki - have a great holiday.

[Sooki]

Hi Jenss thank you,I hope u are keeping well,it's not been a very good year so far,lost 2 friends to IPF since January,both unexpected,such a shitty disease,I had not been well but am back up to speed and feeling fine,need that sunshine,but sometimes wonder if it's worth all the trouble trying to arrange it all,so going without insurance,I am sure the sun is the best Tonic,hope everything is ok with you.Regards Sooki.

[out-for-lunch]

Will the airlines let you plug-in a POC or is it battery only. I use an inogen1 .... battery probably good for an hour & a half, but plugged in it'll pump away indefinitely.

[Sooki in reply to out-for-lunch]

As far as I am aware u can't plug in on a flight,I only need 2 lpm on an aircraft so my POC will last about 4 hours,I take a spare battery.I use 4lpm when walking ,I always try to keep one battery charged.Sooki.

[xsteamtrainx]

hi cardsharp, get in touch with your oxygen provider tell them where your going at least three weeks before you go where your going and staying and the concentrator and spare bottles if you require them will be in your room waiting for you when you arrive, have a good holiday. yours xsteamtrainx