Opticians and Ophthalmology

All opticians are private and there is no free eye care.  Prices for glasses and lenses will tend to be more expensive than those in the UK as there are no very large chains offering second pairs of glasses free.  Most opticians in the more cosmopolitan areas of the island speak sufficient English to get you through an eye test, even if your Spanish is minimal.  However, the glasses and contact lenses sold by opticians increasingly seem like the technology of yesteryear as the medical science of ophthalmology comes of age.  Nowadays, costs of surgical intervention are so low, with many operations performed in a matter of minutes, that there is hardly any reason not to consider a more permanent solution to bad eyesight.

Dental care

Oral healthcare in Tenerife is almost entirely private, with only a limited service provided by the state system for children and emergencies.  With private healthcare, of course, you will have to pay the total cost of treatment, however dental care in Tenerife certainly costs less than countries like the UK.  This is one factor that brings an increasing number of ‘medical tourists’ to the island.  But even more important is that the quality of dental care that can be found in a few centres of excellence here is of the highest standard, on par with the best clinics in the world. Although Tenerife has excellent oral healthcare facilities, not every dentist falls into that category, so you should take care in making a choice. 

Health Centres in Tenerife

A high proportion of expatriates rely on the public health service and though it is far from perfect, in many respects it is seen to be superior to the NHS trusts in the UK.  To book an appointment with a doctor, you can go to your health centre, phone or follow the link to the online booking service.

Below are links to each of the public service health centres in Tenerife where you can find information such as their address, opening hours and emergency telephone number.

Healthcare in Tenerife

If you are considering moving to Tenerife, or you already live here, then healthcare should be an important concern.  Use Tenerife Lifeline to help register with the Spanish system and benefit from free healthcare as well as explaining how the system of health centres and hospitals work, and medical emergencies.  The book covers the private health system in Tenerife, including hospitals and insurance.  Prescriptions may be either subsidised or even free, and you can find out more about chemists and pharmacies in Tenerife from the book.  Going back to the UK, as a resident of Tenerife, does not mean that you will be covered and Tenerife Lifeline show you how to get your Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea so that you can benefit from the NHS when you visit.