Overview
- Doctors have announced they will begin an indefinite strike in September if negotiations with the Ministry of Health over a dedicated Estatuto Marco are not unblocked.
- The doctors' central demand is a separate Estatuto Marco that would formally set pay, on-call formats and other working conditions currently handled partly by the regional health service Osakidetza.
- Recent stoppages have driven thousands of canceled appointments, cut diagnostic activity by about half, and left average surgical waits at 78 days and outpatient waits at 74.8 days.
- The Basque Department of Health has tried to ease pressure by contracting private clinics and more than 2,500 patients have agreed to transfer for operations.
- Health officials and doctors warn that continued escalation risks wider system collapse and long-term harm to patients because delayed tests and treatments can worsen illnesses and increase future demand.