looking for an English Speaking doctor in Nerac 47600

[jaspers girl]

hello eveyone

just moved to Nerac 47600 lot et Garonne

looking for an English speaking doctor and dentist to register.

happy to meet folks living in the area, will also need a hairdresser and fitness classes, or running club these do not have to be English speakers

[idun]

I would say that most dentists and doctors have some english.

 But what are you after, a good dentist and a good doctor, OR a linguist?????? Personally I'd prefer the former. And if you have actually moved to France, get stuck in, in a french speaking country.

I would suggest that you may have more problems with the hairdresser than any doctor, things always seemed to be a little 'different'.

[alittlebitfrench]

I have never met an English speaking doctor or dentist in twenty years. Well I have....many.... but none that like to 'practice' in English. There must be a reason for that. I should imagine it is the same reason that doctors in the UK prefer to speak English to French patients.

When you move to France you have to accept that French people in most walks of life prefer to speak French.

P.S regardless of nationality hairdressers and plumbers don't tend to speak more than one language. Ever met a French speaking hairdresser or plumber in the UK ?

Top tip to survive in France....learn french quick.

[NormanH]

That sanctimonious and inaccurate reply is a fair tip for the long term, but if someone needs a Doctor now it is hardly helpful.

I can't speak for  Nerac, but I have met many English-speaking Doctors at both specialist and General Practice level.

The surgeon who has operated on my various cancers has to give research papers in international conferences, 3 of the generalists out of 5 in my village deal with non French-speaking anglophones, and I have given lessons to several hospital Doctors from Montpellier who were diffident about their grasp of the language, but in fact had a good grounding.

It should be possible to find one though you may have to go to a larger centre such as Agen.

[Judith]

Norman, as ever a sensible and knowledgeable reply.  Around here, I find most doctors can talk a little English, more if you struggle in French!  After 2 dentists reputed to speak English (they didn't unless desperate, and I didn't take to either), I found a dentist in Beziers who definitely can, and he I liked. 

For the OP, it is best to find someone you trust and who you feel does a good job, and as you are happy to find French speaking "other" clubs, maybe you are being too worried by the language problem here.  Ask around, there are sufficient English in your area to ask advice, but also we got our doctor via our French neighbours ... and no regrets.  Recommendations always help (though they can be subjective I know!).

Once, long ago, on this forum, there was talk of an English dentist in 47, I know 'cos I sent the info to my sister, but it was long ago, so maybe a search will help, but also maybe too old to be of use.

[alittlebitfrench]

I am not trying to be sanctimonious at all.....as I don't speak French well myself. As I understand it the OP has just arrived in France looking for a French speaking Doctor, Dentist, Hairdresser and probably in a few weeks time a plumber.

Having spent my fair time in hospital in France (even once was driven at high speed across ' la place de Concorde' in a flashy ambulance/pompier type thing) and spent last week in emergency with a very a poorly arm.....I speak with experience. There is a legal issue here if things go wrong. Doctors prefer to speak in their own language and justifiably so. Just my experience.

[YCCMB]

in the little village where I have a house, the local hairdresser (French) speaks English fluently.

In fairness, however, he did work in Croydon for five years. ?

[andyh4]

Sorry to be a bit of a PITA but for once I am tending towards ALBF's answer - unhelpful though it might at first seem.

Here, no doctors speak English to any sort of standard (and why should they) though perversely our hairdresser does.

There is a reason why doctors will prefer to not do a consultation in a foreign language and it is simply that they are legally responsible for the advice they give. If they make an error in translation to English and the patient takes that advice and suffers as a result, the doctor is legally culpable.

Consequently a doctor will have to have very good English indeed before they start doing consultations in English, although in extremis they may resort to English if there is no other option.

As IDUN has said best to learn French pdq - and yes I accept that may not be easy. We are not all blessed with being linguists - myself included. I have spent a lot of time translating for the OH at various doctors and specialists, so I do know what I am talking about.

[jaspers girl]

hi

Well thanks for the mix bag of replies having just joined this forum i thought the idea was to give advice on the subject, not lecture a newbie and make all kind of assumptions, actually just for the record my french is not bad hence i did not need an English speaking hairdresser or as suggested a plumber just thought some one may like to recommend a hairdresser in the area if they know of a good one.

however when dealing with health issues especially if in a stressful situation or in immense pain i was just inquiring if there was an English speaking doctor as there was a post in 2005 on this very forum suggesting indeed Nerac had an English speaking doctor.

i have just moved from a different department in france where most doctors spoke English as did dentists. So the comparisons to England in a previous post, lectures on my standard of French are completely unnecessary and irrelevant.

please just answer the question  and if you have nothing to add please do'nt be  so judgmental and condescending.

[alittlebitfrench]

and breath......

You are missing the point.

Doctors in France will 'practice' in French. It is a liability issue.

[jaspers girl]

not at all i am just stating the fact that for the last 7 years i have been treated by English speaking doctors in 2 different departments in france ?

therefore they obviously do not agree with you that it is " a liability issue"

so my original question is valid

[alittlebitfrench]

What ?

What departments ?

Never met in twenty years (I have had my fair share of medical appointments/X-rays/injections/surgery/ emergency departments and all that) a doctor that speaks fluent enough to converse with in English....and I have lived in Paris (twice), Lyon, and now the most visited tourist region of France

Really. My personal doctor (and the one I had before her) speaks ZERO English but we get by.

[jaspers girl]

just because you have not experience something does not make it false?

Can we just get back to the question please alittlebitof french

as your replies are irrelevant.

[minnie]

I can tell you that there is a Mauritian fluent English speaking doctor in Tonneins (about 20kms from Nerac) whom we used for some time. I cannot particularly recommend him though. If you put the english speaking ahead of his ability as a Doctor then fine, but otherwise I'd stick to the French. We left this one to go to a Spanish lady Doctor who speaks no english at all. I still have more confidence in her.

[NickP]

[quote user="jaspers girl"]just because you have not experience something does not make it false?

Can we just get back to the question please alittlebitof french

as your replies are irrelevant.

[/quote]

Most of albf's comments are irrelevant , he's a French life style fascist and will take any chance however slim to denigrate anybody who asks advice about anything English or from The UK. Ignore him, with a bit of luck he'll disappear. I'm surprised that he claims not to speak French very well, especially after being in France for twenty years. As for doctors not speaking any English, absolute nonsense most do and are only too pleased to practise their language skills. Hope you find what you are looking for.

[NickP]

deleted as double post. Question to mods why is delete facility only operational for 30 seconds?

[jaspers girl]

Hi nick p

thank you

Jasper's Girl

[alittlebitfrench]

[quote user="NickP"][quote user="jaspers girl"]just because you have not experience something does not make it false?

Can we just get back to the question please alittlebitof french

as your replies are irrelevant.

[/quote]

Most of albf's comments are irrelevant , he's a French life style fascist and will take any chance however slim to denigrate anybody who asks advice about anything English or from The UK. Ignore him, with a bit of luck he'll disappear. I'm surprised that he claims not to speak French very well, especially after being in France for twenty years. As for doctors not speaking any English, absolute nonsense most do and are only too pleased to practise their language skills. Hope you find what you are looking for.[/quote]

That is a very rude post Nick P.

I am sure you have your reasons.

Back on topic...I have never had/met a doctor in twenty years in France to converse with fluently in English regarding medical matters.

Hands up who have ?????

P.S Last week went to the the emergency unit of a big city hospital with an injury. Receptionist in AE did not speak English. WE got by. Got through to the AE unit and met a nurse who took my vitals....she did not speak English...We got by. Spent 4 hours having exams/blood tests/échographies with doctors that did not speak English. We all got by.

You kinda get the message I am getting across here.

You are in France.

[Judith]

Calm down!  Some do, some don't ... I take an English friend to her heart specialist in case he says something she cannot understand ( she manages in French, but not well) ... but the receptionist speaks English OK ...

As I said in my earlier post, it has taken me 5 years or more to find an English speaking dentist I trust (he worked in the States), who is the first to happily work in English with me, but my GP has enough English to explain when I don't get the gist.  he doesn't seem to worry about  advising me in English as needed. ...

It is very important to find a dentist or doctor you can trust, but even more difficult to trust them if you don't understand what s/he says.  And I say that even though I have adequate French now ... the OP asked a genuine question as these "strange beings who speak another language" do exist, and no reason not to use them if needed.

[NormanH]

Does this need to get bad tempered ?

The Code de déontology of the Conseil National de medecins says in article 35

Le médecin doit à la personne qu’il examine, qu’il soigne ou qu’il

conseille une information loyale, claire et appropriée sur son état, les

investigations et les soins qu’il lui propose.

tout au long de la maladie, il

tient compte de la personnalité du patient dans ses explications et veille à

leur compréhension.

"The doctor owes the patient that he examines, cares for or advises  faithful (accurate)   clear, and appropriate information about his condition, the tests and treatment that is being suggested.

All through the illness  he should take the patient's personality into account in his explanations and  watch out for to see that they are understood."

I can't find the alleged advice NOT to use English in  achieving those ends..

http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr/sites/default/files/codedeont.pdf

[jaspers girl]

hi

thanks for the information everyone and the debate on whether or not it is ok to speak English  as a French doctor  and i am truly amazed at the hostile reaction of some. I have been fortunate to have experienced really good French Doctors whom speak English i was just hoping to find another here in Nerac especially after some posted  previously that they had.

[idun]

Why does this annoy me, because no one is forced into moving to a foreign country and I BELIEVE that one should just get on with the local language if living full time in another country.

I have no idea why anyone would move to France and want or expect english speaking anything. I HATE it when I see all the options in the UK of two zillion languages at council offices or the health service. IF someone needs a translator, let THEM pay for one.

And back to France, well, move full time, just get on with living in France.

Like a ALBF, my french is not 'good', but I managed very very well for nearly three decades without problems and still do because all our income is from France and we still have things to sort out in France, more regularly than I ever imagined.

I lived in a big city when I first moved to France and there were some english speaking doctors and dentists, they had worked in other countries. I even used one a few times, recommended as a good dr.

The OP it would seem lives in a remote area, I had to google the place and the nearest big town is quite a hike, but maybe they will have more luck there. But would they be able to register with say a GP so far from home?

[sid]

[quote user="idun"]Why does this annoy me, because no one is forced into moving to a foreign country and I BELIEVE that one should just get on with the local language if living full time in another country.

I have no idea why anyone would move to France and want or expect english speaking anything. I HATE it when I see all the options in the UK of two zillion languages at council offices or the health service. IF someone needs a translator, let THEM pay for one.

[/quote]

I have to agree with these sentiments!

My wife is having long-term medical treatment just now and we have met a really charming set of consultants, all of whom like to try their English on us. We have these double-language conversations where they try their English and we try our French! As an aside I have to say that the health service is first class.

 

[alittlebitfrench]

Having spent so much time in French hospitals I kinda understand why expats want a 'English speaking' doctor ect. But (no disrespect to the OP) asking if there is an English speaking doctor in Nerac is like asking if there is an French speaking doctor working in a tiny village near Shaftesbury. It borders on ridiculous. There is an assumption by the British that speaking English is widespread across France which of course it is not. Learning English for the French is as difficult as learning French for the English....and unless you use it on a day to day basis you lose it.

But what irritates me the most are those that go on forums and ask for English speaking electriciens, plumbers, hairdressers ect. When I was at school the people who became electriciens, plumbers and hairdressers were not that interested in learning anything nevermind languages. It is very much the same in France. So I find that question so utterly disrespectful and I am sure only stupid British people would ask such a stupid question. Or do Germans on their forums ask if anyone knows of a German speaking X, Y and Z in a tiny village in France.

When My OH came and lived with me in the UK she could hardly speak any English. But that did not stop her getting out and about going to doctors, shopping, hairdressers, registering her car !!!! and being independent.

We are a rubbish pathetic nation sometimes.

[YCCMB]

As you don't live in England, you will be unaware of just how wrong you are.

There are many, many forums similar to this one for people of all nationalities and language backgrounds living in the UK. People on those forums (if the French ones, which I can read and understand, are anything to go by) looking for tradespeople and professionals who speak their own language.

Unsurprisingly, many of those people who come to the UK are trained professionals, and, thanks to the much more flexible labour laws, they are able to practise their professions in the UK quite easily. I have had my hair cut by an Afghan hairdresser, my sons had a Moroccan barber, and, as I mentioned before, our village hairdresser in France worked for 5 years in Croydon.

You have a view and an experience of France which has developed thanks to many years of living there, and, lest there be any misunderstanding, I AGREE WITH YOU that it is both preferable and desirable to learn the language of the country you're living in. However, your assumptions about the UK are incorrect and outdated.

If I was a Polish speaker, I'd be able to live my life in the same sort of bubble here as many Brits living in France. Likewise for French, Russian and a great many other languages and nationalities. Whether in a big city or a small village.