A total of 30 nurses have left the Balearic Islands so far this year to move to other autonomous communities in search of better working conditions and salaries, according to the Nursing Union (Satse). The organization considers that this situation is “unsustainable” for the health and social-health system of the islands and demands urgent measures to prevent further deterioration.
Andalusia, the main destination for the flight of nurses
According to Satse data, half of the nurses who have left the Balearic Islands have chosen Andalusia as their destination, while the rest have been distributed among other autonomous communities.
In addition, some thirty fourth-year students of the Nursing degree at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) have requested information on how to work in other countries, mainly in the European Union, which indicates that the migratory trend of health professionals could increase in the coming years.
Balearic Islands, at the bottom of Spain in number of nurses
Satse recalled that the ratio of nurses per inhabitant in the Balearic Islands is 5.93 per 1,000 inhabitants, one of the lowest in Spain and well below the European average of 8.5 per 1,000 inhabitants. According to their estimates, it would take two decades to reach European standards.
Inaccessible housing and low salaries, main causes of flight
The union points out that the exorbitant cost of living in the Balearic Islands and the lack of affordable housing are the main reasons why nurses decide to leave the archipelago. Added to this are the precarious working conditions, which include temporary contracts, instability in the workforce, high turnover and working hours that are difficult to reconcile with personal life.
In the case of the private sector, salaries are up to 40% lower than in other communities, which leads many professionals to seek opportunities outside the islands.
They demand better salaries and compensation for their insularity
In view of this situation, Satse has demanded immediate measures from the administrations to stop the drain of professionals, among them:
- A salary increase in public health care to compensate for the high cost of living in the Balearic Islands.
- Improvements in insularity allowances to make employment in the islands more attractive.
- Salary increases in private healthcare, where they consider that salaries should be increased by up to 40%.
The union warns that the lack of nurses directly affects the quality of health care and calls for urgent solutions to avoid a collapse in the Balearic health system.
