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Spain’s Doctors Begin Four-Day Strike as Government Stands by Health Labor Overhaul

Unions demand a bespoke statute for physicians in place of the ministry’s draft framework.

Overview

  • Regional authorities set minimum service levels that keep emergency care, ICUs, urgent surgery and other essential activity operating.
  • Turnout varied widely by territory and source: Catalonia at 45% per Metges de Catalunya versus 6.5% per the Generalitat, Andalusia at 32% per the Junta with unions citing 70% at Córdoba’s Reina Sofía, and Castilla y León at 25.8% in the morning shift.
  • Hospitals and clinics reported selective disruptions, with postponed operations, consultations and diagnostic tests in locations such as Murcia and parts of Madrid, while Valencia saw limited impact.
  • Asturias faced a major IT failure that halted access to medical records and e‑prescriptions across primary care and hospitals, worsening day‑one pressures.
  • The Health Ministry, citing more than 60 meetings, refuses to withdraw its draft as regional leaders in Madrid and Andalusia urge changes, and unions signal further walkouts in January.