Hi, my name is Dr Santiago Puig. I'm a GP. I work full time at Warrens Medical Centre
on the Wirral.
What probably I found more difficult when I moved here, it's not an issue anymore because
I moved here 20 years ago and at the time it was difficult to open bank accounts, getting
the electricity bills, renting an apartment. All these things, they were an issue, but
they are not these days because everything is electronic. Transferring money from Spain
to here was a bit of a problem but now it's all online, so I don't think what I found
difficult is difficult.
It's got fabulous beaches. It's got fabulous tourist attractions. It's got the green,
it's a beautiful country. So I like when I have got time off, which being a GP, full
time, is not very often, but you just go down the road and you are in beautiful Wales, so
you can do walks on the hills, this is really, really nice. Probably what I like more here
is my profession. My professional as a general practitioner is very well considered in this
country. Being a GP in England is super specialist and you know you can do the full
holistic care for the full family. And I am looking after families I have known for
years. I know I can look after the little children, and I look after their grannies
and the grandparents. And this is amazing, this is what I wanted to be, a family doctor
to be able to look after the full family, look after everybody. And UK general practice,
primary care, gives me that opportunity here.
My speciality is children, so you can be a general practitioner with a special interest
in different specialities. In my practice we have got some special interests in GPs
in cardiology, on dermatology, and obviously I see all the children. When they have any
queries they come to me and I can resolve, and we have got a very low rate of referrals
to secondary care and I can fulfil my speciality, which was my passion.
My message is, I have had a great experience of living and working in this country and
please don't be afraid. UK, England is very welcoming, it's very welcoming of foreigners.
They are very open minded and I always felt really, not just cared for, really loved.
My patients love me, because I am Mediterranean, and I am moving my hands all over the place,
and my patients adore this. So don't be afraid of coming. Don't be afraid of the
weather, you get used to it. I used to wear 5 vests and now I just wear a shirt, so you
get used to it. You will be very well considered professionally being a general practitioner
in this country. It's the equivalent of being a cardiologist, or being a plastic surgeon.
And financially you are very well rewarded, and you have got a very good life style.