Emergency Services and A&E on Mallorca: When to Go Where

In an emergency every minute counts, and that is exactly when you do not want to be working out which number to call or which clinic to drive to. Emergency care on Mallorca works differently from what you may be used to back home: there are several points of contact, and which one is right depends on how urgent your situation really is. This article explains, from a resident's point of view, which emergency number applies when, when to see your GP, the after-hours service or A&E directly, and where the main Urgencias on the island are located.

The most important emergency numbers on Mallorca

On Mallorca there are really only two numbers you need to remember. 112 is the general European emergency number for all police, fire and ambulance callouts. 061 is meant specifically for medical emergencies and connects you directly to the medical dispatch centre. Both are free, reachable around the clock and take calls in English or German too.

• 112 for any serious emergency: accident, fire, assault, unconscious person
• 061 for purely medical emergencies: suspected heart attack, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding
• 016 for domestic violence (free, multilingual)
• 091 Policía Nacional, 092 Policía Local

When to go to the Centro de Salud, when to go to A&E?

The Urgencias are the emergency department of a hospital on Mallorca, that is the ward for acute and serious cases that need immediate medical treatment and cannot wait until the next appointment. It is not the right place for routine complaints, a repeat prescription or a mild cold. Anyone who turns up with something minor often waits for hours, because patients are treated by urgency.

For milder but urgent problems outside surgery hours there is the PAC (Punto de Atención Continuada), the after-hours service of the public health centres. This point of contact is open at night, at weekends and on public holidays, and covers what an after-hours GP service would handle back home.

The most important emergency departments on Mallorca

The public emergency departments are spread across the whole island, so you do not have to drive all the way to Palma from every village. These four public hospitals have Urgencias open around the clock:

• Hospital Universitari Son Espases (Palma): the largest and most important hospital in the Balearics, the point of contact for complex emergencies
• Hospital Son Llàtzer (Palma): the second large hospital, in the east of the city
• Hospital Comarcal d'Inca (Inca): for the centre and north of the island
• Hospital de Manacor (Manacor): for the east and southeast of the island

Alongside these there are private emergency departments, for example at Clínica Juaneda, Clínica Rotger or Hospital Quirónsalud Palmaplanas in Palma. They are often faster and usually have English-speaking staff, but they bill your private insurance directly or ask for payment up front.

The public Hospital Universitari Son Espases has around 1,000 beds, making it the reference hospital for the whole of the Balearics. Anyone picked up by ambulance in a serious emergency on Mallorca usually ends up there.

Public or private in an emergency?

In the public system you will always be treated in a genuine emergency, regardless of your insurance status or the language you speak. Care is good, but for non-life-threatening cases it can come with long waiting times. You can read more about how the system is set up in the guide to health insurance in Spain.

Going private is faster and usually available in English, but for that you need private health insurance or you pay yourself. Many residents combine the two: routine care through the public system, acute cases privately. How to find a suitable doctor in the first place is explained in our guide to finding a doctor on Mallorca and in the blog post on finding English-speaking doctors on the island.

Common questions about emergency care on Mallorca

Which number do I call in an emergency on Mallorca? For any serious emergency, 112. It is free, staffed around the clock and takes calls in English and German too. For purely medical emergencies you can alternatively dial 061.

Does A&E at a public hospital cost anything? With a Spanish health card or a valid EHIC, emergency treatment in the public system is free. Without proof of insurance a bill may follow, but you will still be treated in an emergency.

Where do I find a doctor at night for milder complaints? At the PAC, the after-hours service of your Centro de Salud. It is open at night, at weekends and on public holidays and takes pressure off A&E.

Conclusion

Emergency care on Mallorca is well organised once you know which door is the right one. Remember 112 for all serious emergencies and 061 for medical cases, use the Centro de Salud and the PAC for milder complaints, and only drive straight to the Urgencias in a genuine acute emergency. You will find a detailed overview with emergency numbers and first aid in our emergency guide for Mallorca. Best of all, save the most important numbers in your phone today, so you do not have to search when it matters.