Travel health in Italy

EU citizens are entitled to emergency medical care under the same terms as the residents of the country, as are British citizens, as long as they can show a valid Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which for UK nationals replaced the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) after Brexit. The GHIC is free of charge and valid for five years – application forms are issued at UK post offices, or you can apply online at https://bit.ly/GHICCard. Like the EHIC, the GHIC does not cover the full cost of major treatment (or dental treatment), so the high cost of medical care in Italy makes travel insurance essential. You normally have to pay the full cost of emergency treatment upfront and claim it back when you get home (minus an excess); make sure you hang onto full doctors’ reports, signed prescription details and all receipts to back up your claim.

In an emergency, call 113 and ask for ospedale or ambulanza, or go to the Pronto Soccorso (Casualty/A&E) section of the nearest hospital. Major train stations and airports often have first-aid facilities.

Italian pharmacists (farmacie) are well qualified to give advice on minor ailments and to dispense prescriptions. There’s generally one open all night in the bigger towns and cities – they work on a rota system, and the address of the one currently open is posted on any farmacia door. If you require a doctor (medico), ask for help in the first instance at your hotel or the local tourist office. Alternatively look in the Yellow Pages (Pagine Gialle; http://paginegialle.it): larger towns will have English-speaking doctors. Follow a similar procedure if you have dental problems.

Mosquitoes (zanzare) can be a nuisance between June and September; most supermarkets and pharmacies sell sprays, mosquito coils and after-bite cream. Likewise, swimmers should keep an eye out for jellyfish (meduse). Stings are not dangerous but can be extremely uncomfortable. Ammonia ‘pens’ that help relieve the pain are widely available in pharmacies.