A coalition of health advocacy groups delivered a petition with over 20,000 signatures to Catalonia’s Department of Health on Monday, demanding urgent and substantial improvements to the region’s public healthcare system. This initiative, led by prominent citizen platforms Marea Pensionista and Marea Blanca de Catalunya, calls for increased resources, better working conditions for medical staff, and a renewed commitment to a publicly managed service.

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Demonstrators gathered outside the health department’s headquarters on Travessera de les Corts in Barcelona to formally submit the document. The petition culminates a public campaign, highlighting what organisers describe as an increasingly “unsustainable” situation within the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut). CatSalut operates as part of the broader Spanish National Health System but is managed by the regional Generalitat de Catalunya.

A Call for Systemic Reform

According to the document, submitted to the Departament de Salut and reported by local news agency betevé, the signatories are pushing for a series of fundamental changes. Their key demands include:

  • Increased funding for primary care: A core proposal is the allocation of 25% of the total health budget to primary care services, a move intended to bolster local clinics and preventative medicine.
  • Direct public management: The groups advocate for a system managed directly by public bodies, resisting trends towards privatisation or external management contracts.
  • Universal and non-discriminatory access: The petition reaffirms the principle that everyone should have equal access to healthcare, regardless of their background or status.
  • Improved working conditions: The petition also significantly focuses on the welfare of healthcare professionals, calling for dignified working conditions to combat the severe staff burnout and professional exhaustion plaguing the sector.

A System Under Pressure

The campaign reflects widespread concerns about the resilience of public services in Catalonia. The strain on the healthcare system does not exist in isolation, mirroring challenges seen across the public sector. While a recent doctors’ strike saw a low turnout, the underlying grievances over pay and workload remain a point of friction between unions and the administration.

These tensions are prevalent in other areas of public service. The government’s recent proposal to allocate €22 million for pay rises for educational support staff highlights the pressure to address long-standing wage issues. Similarly, staff and resource shortages present significant obstacles to implementing much-needed court reforms in Barcelona.

The Marea Blanca (White Tide) and Marea Pensionista (Pensioners’ Tide) are grassroots movements that have long campaigned for the protection of public services in Spain. Their joint action underscores a growing public impatience with perceived underinvestment and a desire to see the Catalan government prioritise the reinforcement of its welfare state.

In their statement, the platforms warned that the system has reached a critical point. The delivery of over 20,000 signatures sends a clear message to policymakers that public support for fundamental reform is significant and organised. The focus now shifts to the Department of Health and whether it will incorporate these demands into its future budgetary and strategic planning.