Feeling unwell in Madrid? How English-speaking residents can see a doctor today, without the waiting room
By Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, General Practitioner
It usually starts on the wrong day. A temperature that climbs on a Sunday, a child with earache the night before a school trip, a burning urinary infection in the middle of a working week, or a back that locks halfway through moving flat. You know it is not an emergency, but you also know it cannot wait until a GP appointment in ten days’ time. For many of Madrid’s international residents, the next question is harder still: where do I go, and will anyone understand me?
More and more people are answering that question from their sofa. As an English-speaking doctor in Madrid who works entirely by video, I see expats, students, digital nomads and visitors every day who simply want clear medical advice, in their own language, within hours rather than days. Here is how urgent online consultations work, what they can and cannot do, and how to choose the right door when you feel unwell in the city.
A same-day video consultation can be joined from home, the office or a hotel room anywhere in Madrid.
Urgent is not the same as an emergency
Most health problems that feel urgent are not emergencies. A sore throat with fever, cystitis, a flare of eczema, a stomach bug, conjunctivitis, an allergy that is getting worse, or running out of a regular medicine all need a doctor soon, but not an ambulance. These are exactly the problems that fill hospital waiting rooms, where patients with less serious conditions can wait many hours while more critical cases are seen first.
A genuine emergency is different. Chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke such as a drooping face or weak arm, heavy bleeding, a serious injury, a sudden severe headache or a person who is confused or unresponsive all need emergency care straight away. In Madrid, as everywhere in Europe, that means calling 112.
Three doors, three situations
Knowing which door to knock on saves time, money and stress:
- 112: for anything life-threatening. The call is free and operators can help in English.
- Hospital Urgencias: for problems that need an examination, scans or tests today, such as a suspected fracture, a deep wound or severe abdominal pain. Madrid’s large public hospitals, including La Paz, Gregorio Marañón, 12 de Octubre and Ramón y Cajal, all have 24-hour emergency departments.
- A same-day video doctor: for everything that is urgent but not dangerous, when what you need is an assessment, advice, a prescription or a medical certificate.
What an online consultation can handle
A careful history and a good video call can resolve a surprising share of everyday medicine. In my practice the most common reasons for an urgent consultation include:
- Colds, flu, sore throats, sinusitis and coughs
- Urinary infections and other common infections
- Rashes, allergies, insect bites and skin flare-ups
- Stomach upsets, food poisoning and dehydration advice
- Back pain, minor strains and headaches
- Repeat prescriptions for long-term conditions when you are running low
- Travel health questions, sick notes and medical certificates
Just as important is knowing when video is not enough. If a problem needs hands-on examination, an urgent blood test or imaging, a responsible online doctor will tell you immediately and explain exactly where to go, rather than keep you on the screen.
Two ways to consult: video or written
Not every question needs a face-to-face conversation. Patients can choose between two formats:
- Video consultation (€50): a private, secure HD call with the doctor, best for new symptoms, anything that needs to be seen, such as a rash or a sore eye, and situations where a conversation helps.
- Written eConsult (€30): you describe the problem in writing and receive a medical reply. It suits simple, clear-cut questions, follow-ups and practical queries.
Both are available every day from 7:30 to 20:30, and appointments can be booked online at any hour, often for the same day.
Speaking to the same doctor every time makes follow-up simpler and safer.
What happens during an urgent video consultation
- Booking: choose a time online, often within a few hours, and receive your private video link.
- Assessment: the doctor takes a full history, reviews your medicines and allergies, and asks you to show anything visible on camera.
- Diagnosis and plan: you leave with a clear explanation of what is wrong, what to do, and which warning signs mean you should seek in-person care.
- Prescription: where clinically appropriate, you receive a private electronic prescription on your phone with a QR code that can be taken to a Madrid pharmacy, including the farmacia de guardia that stays open overnight.
- Paperwork: a medical report and an itemised invoice, which many private insurers accept for reimbursement.
Why language matters when you are ill
Describing pain, side effects or a family history is hard enough in your first language. In a second language, under stress, important details get lost, and misunderstandings about doses or warning signs are more likely. Being able to explain how you feel in your own words, and to understand exactly what the doctor recommends and why, is not a luxury. It is part of safe medical care.
A quick health checklist for newcomers to Madrid
- Save 112 in your phone and teach it to everyone in the household.
- Know your nearest hospital with a 24-hour Urgencias department.
- Keep a list of your regular medicines with their generic names, not only brand names.
- Check what your health insurance covers, including telemedicine and reimbursement of private consultations.
- If you are entitled to public healthcare, register for your tarjeta sanitaria early rather than when you are already unwell.
- Find out how to locate the farmacia de guardia on duty near your home.
The bottom line
Most of the health problems that disrupt life in a new city are urgent but not dangerous. For those, the fastest route to good care is often not a waiting room but a well-run video consultation with a qualified doctor who speaks your language, knows the Spanish system and will tell you honestly when you need to be seen in person. For anything life-threatening, call 112 without hesitation.
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a General Practitioner registered with the Official College of Physicians of Bizkaia (licence No. 484814280), with native-level English and Spanish. He offers urgent and routine video consultations and written eConsults every day from 7:30 to 20:30 for residents, expats and visitors. This article is for general information and does not replace an individual medical consultation. In an emergency, call 112.
