The Catalan doctors strike began this week, marking a major push for better labour conditions. Medical professionals demand the abolition of the 24-hour shift system. Organised by the union Metges de Catalunya, the strike takes place today, 16 February, and continues this Friday.
Meanwhile, this regional action coincides with a week-long stoppage across Spain. The core grievance driving the Catalan doctors strike is staff exhaustion. Therefore, the union urges the Department of Health (Salut) to implement a new collective agreement addressing care overload.
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The End of the 24-Hour Shift
The primary focus of this week’s Catalan doctors strike is modernising working hours. Metges de Catalunya demands the complete elimination of 24-hour medical guards. The union views this practice as outdated, compromising professional wellbeing and patient safety.
In addition, the union demands immediate hiring of more professionals to alleviate pressure. Consequently, the union plans to escalate visibility by taking the protest to the streets on Friday.
Impact on Patients and Minimum Services
To ensure patient safety, the government has decreed minimum service levels. Patients should note the following operational guarantees during the Catalan doctors strike:
- Critical Care: Emergency rooms, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and vital emergency services will operate normally.
- Specialised Treatments: Hemodialysis, neonatology, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and urgent oncological treatments remain fully operational.
- Surgery: Surgical procedures that cannot be medically postponed will proceed as scheduled.
- Primary Care: Centres will operate with 25% of staff on the first day and 33% from the second day onwards to handle urgent cases.
Pharmaceutical services will maintain staffing levels equivalent to on-call and night shifts. However, the Blood Bank will operate at 50% capacity.
A Nationwide Context
This regional action is part of a larger wave of unrest in the Spanish healthcare sector. While the Catalan doctors strike lasts two days, a state-level stoppage is active from 16 to 20 February. Unions indicate that without a satisfactory response, these mobilisations could recur. Further strikes are planned for one week each month until June.
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