What you need to know about Spain’s November doctor strikes
As well as the planned rail strikes and the general strike on November 11th, Spain’s doctors will also be staging walkouts this month. Here’s what you need know, from dates to how they will affect patients.
The United Doctors Union (SMU) has called for nationwide stoppages later this month, following the General Strike on November 11th, which is also expected to affect health services.
When will the walkouts take place?
The doctors’ strikes have been scheduled from November 16th to the 27th and will coordinate with the already planned regional walkouts.
Medical unions in Madrid, Catalonia and Valencia have also called for stoppages to advocate for better working conditions, seeking to “highlight the professionals’ discontent in the face of stalled regional negotiations”.
READ ALSO: What to expect from Spain’s general strike on November 11th
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Why are they striking?
The union is demanding specific labour regulations for physicians. It believes that the current Framework Statute, which regulates the conditions of statutory workers in the health services, does not adequately address the needs of physicians because it integrates their regulations into a framework shared with other professionals.
Among the issues they want addressed are salaries, working hours, breaks, on-call duty, education, career development, and retirement. They maintain that these require specific regulations to avoid major differences between regions.
They also want a 35-hour work week to be implemented in all regions and sufficient staff to cover care without overexertion.
The union argues that this regulation is necessary to “establish a common basis of decent conditions for all doctors, regardless of the region in which they work”.
It claims that it has been demanding these regulations for over six years.
In addition, unions are demanding extraordinary funding to address salary issues, as well as urgent measures from the regional governments to alleviate the excessive workload.
READ ALSO: Spain’s train drivers call more strike days following crash
How will this affect patients?
Strikes can delay appointments and lengthen waiting lists, particularly when the situation is already strained across much of the country.
Therefore, it could affect those with pending appointments or those awaiting diagnostic tests.
The actual impact will depend on the minimum services established by each region and the level of support the strike receives from healthcare professionals.
Currently, no exact strike times or minimum services have been established.
If you have an appointment or procedure scheduled during this time, it’s best to contact your local health centre or hospital and ask them if it will be affected.
Which regions have also called doctors’ strikes?
In Madrid there are two 72-hour blocks of walkouts in November. While the first has already taken place, the second is scheduled from the 18th at 8am to the 21st at 8am.
The Andalusian Medical Union has announced continuous stoppages from November 13th to December 4th.
In Castilla-La Mancha, unions have announced strike days on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting on November 16th, for 24 hours each day.
While in Catalonia, Metges de Catalunya began an indefinite strike on October 28th.
Doctors in the Canary Islands began an indefinite walkout on October 16th, which was extended to November 17th.
