Balearics: 24-hour doctor shifts cannot end

The Balearic government says it cannot scrap 24-hour shifts for doctors. Spain’s Health Minister Mónica García says it can be done, but the health system must first be reorganised. She made the intervention in Madrid on Wednesday as doctors’ unions threaten an indefinite strike.

García was defending the government’s decision to send a bill on the Framework Statute — the rules governing health staff — to Congress. She said the move was not a challenge to the unions, but a route to better working conditions.

New law aims to open doctors’ status

The bill would overhaul rules that have been in force since 2003. García said it is needed before doctors can pursue their own separate employment status, because a basic statute must first cover all health professions.

She said the Health Ministry had held 30 meetings with doctors’ unions and 60 more with other organisations. According to García, the text includes every demand that falls within her ministry’s powers.

Balearics hold key powers

Pay and many practical improvements are the responsibility of Spain’s autonomous communities, García said. Some regional health departments have reached agreements with unions this year, while the Balearics and the Community of Madrid say ending 24-hour shifts is impossible.

The ministry is also preparing changes to the decree governing resident doctors. García said the reform is due by the end of this year and should reduce shifts and improve their working conditions. She argued that those protections should continue once doctors finish their specialist training.

Topics: Strikes · Jobs & labour · Health · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com