When your child moves from pediatrician (pediatra) to family doctor

Key rules

• Age limit: Pediatric care generally ends at the 14th birthday, though some regions extend it to 15, so confirm the age with your regional health service.
• Transfer: In most regions the new family doctor is assigned automatically, but in some you must ask at the admission desk.
• Exceptions: Staying longer with the pediatrician is possible in some regions, mainly for chronic or complex conditions, and only if the centre agrees.

The age limit depends on your region

Public pediatric care generally runs until your child's 14th birthday. Some regions extend it to 15, and a few areas go higher. Each regional health service sets its own limit, and it can differ between centres. Ask your centro de salud or regional health service for the exact age well before your child gets close to it.

How the transfer works

At the cutoff, your child's health card is normally reassigned to a médico de familia and a nurse, at the same centro de salud or a nearby one.

• In most regions the change is automatic. The regional health service updates the assignment. You get a letter, SMS or app message, or the centre contacts you.
• In some regions you must ask. You request the new doctor at the admisión desk of the centro de salud.

Once the change is made, check that your child's health card shows the new doctor and centre.

Your child's records move with them

Your child's medical history is held in the regional electronic record, so the family doctor can see it. You do not need to carry paper files between doctors.

Can your child stay with the pediatrician?

Sometimes, but not everywhere. Exceptions are most likely if your child has a chronic or complex condition, or is close to finishing a treatment. They usually need the pediatrician and the centre to agree, and the extra time is limited. Some regions also let families pick the family doctor a bit earlier or later within a range. In practice, the centre's capacity decides. Ask the centro de salud about this several months before the cutoff, not after it.

Moving to a different region

The age limit and the process belong to the region where your child is registered. If you move between regions, check the new region's age and steps when you register your child there.

The decision, checklist and questions below help you plan the move.

Choosing between options

Should your child move to the family doctor now or try to stay with the pediatrician?

• Move to the family doctor: Your child has reached the age cutoff in your region and has no chronic, complex or ongoing treatment needs.

• Choose the family doctor earlier or later: Your region lets families choose within an age range.

Move to the family doctor at the cutoff unless your region allows an exception and the pediatrician and centro de salud agree to it.

Exceptions are not uniform and depend on the region and centre, so confirm the current rule with your regional health service.

Checklist

• Ask your regional health service or centro de salud what age your child moves to a family doctor, since it varies by community.

• Check whether the change is automatic in your region or whether you must request the new doctor at the admissions desk (admisión).

• Watch for a letter, SMS or app message telling you the name of the new family doctor and nurse.

• Confirm that your child's health card now shows the family doctor and the centro de salud.

• Ask the centro de salud whether an exception is possible if your child has a chronic or complex condition or is finishing a treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Will my child's new family doctor be assigned automatically?

Yes, in most regions the health service reassigns your child's health card to a family doctor and nurse, but in some you must ask for the doctor yourself. You are usually told by letter, SMS or app. Where it is not automatic, ask at the admissions desk (admisión) of your centro de salud.

Does my child's medical history move to the family doctor?

Yes, the clinical record is shared through the regional electronic record, so you do not need to carry any paper file. The family doctor at the same or a nearby centro de salud can see it.

Can my teenager stay with the pediatrician for longer?

Sometimes, because some regions allow a young person with a chronic or complex condition to stay with the pediatrician for a limited time. The pediatrician and the centre must agree, and capacity decides in practice. Ask the centro de salud what applies where you live.