First day of the doctors' strike: 85% participation in hospitals and lower in primary care

PalmThe third strike of 2025 by medical professionals has begun – and will continue until Friday – called across Spain in protest against the Ministry of Health's draft Framework Statute for Statutory Personnel of the National Health System. According to the Simebal union, the first day's strike in the Balearic Islands saw "very high participation," especially in hospitals, with 85% turnout and up to 100% in Anesthesiology. In Primary Care, however, participation was between 65% and 70%, which Simebal attributed to the strain on healthcare services due to the flu. During these four days of the strike, the government has established minimum services to guarantee essential care and prevent the protest from seriously affecting patients. Thus, 100% coverage will be maintained in urgent and critical services: Emergency Room, Oncology, Radiotherapy, Dialysis, Oncological Surgery, Day Hospital, and Hospital Pharmacy, among others. Emergency and on-call services (PAC/SUAP/061) will also be guaranteed. Furthermore, each primary care center must have at least one doctor and one pediatrician on duty in the morning, with additional staffing in centers with a high number of patients.

Doctors are denouncing the text for failing to recognize the unique nature of the medical profession and for not guaranteeing decent working conditions. They criticize the excessive workload, the precariousness of on-call shifts, the lack of fair compensation, and the complete absence of career advancement opportunities, as well as the intention of the Ministry under Mónica García (Sumar) to prevent residents on duty from combining their public service with private practice. This is the third protest, following a strike in May/June and a second day of action on October 3rd, all of which saw significant participation, according to Simebal, the largest doctors' union in the Balearic Islands.

What are they asking for?

Among the main demands of the group, doctors are calling for their own statute that would allow them to negotiate in a separate forum with specific representatives; a professional classification that recognizes their MECES III level of training above other qualifications; recognition of on-call shifts as extraordinary activity, better paid and counted towards retirement; the elimination of practices such as forced transfers and the "needs of the service" excuse, which they consider abusive; and a conflict of interest system that does not penalize the group or further hinder the recruitment and retention of professionals. The president of the Simebal medical union, Miguel Lázaro, speaking with ARA Baleares, stated that the new draft "is Sumar's proposal, and it is harmful, regressive, penalizes doctors, offers no solutions to the problems of public healthcare, and fails to implement strategies to stem the exodus of doctors." "Not only does it offer no solutions, but it also takes away doctors' rights."