The Minister of Health, Mónica García, has ruled out the creation of a specific Framework Statute for doctors, although she has pointed out that the new legal framework will include a chapter dedicated to the particularities of this profession. However, she has defended that doctors should not be “differentiated, segregated or atomized” from other healthcare professionals.
During an interview on RNE, García recalled that the Framework Statute already contemplates a differentiation by categories, placing doctors at the highest level, level 8, above other healthcare categories. His statements come in a context of tension with the medical unions, which this Thursday have called a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Health to demand a specific statute that includes their demands.
The main demands of the medical sector
The medical unions have criticized the draft of the Framework Statute for not adequately reflecting the particularities of their profession and have demanded a new professional reclassification in accordance with their training, as well as improvements in working conditions. Their demands include:
- The linking of remuneration to training and experience.
- A retirement system adapted to the demands of the profession.
- Protection against incompatibilities.
- Reduction of working hours and on-call hours without loss of salary.
- Guarantee of salaries that allow exclusivity in the National Health System to avoid the flight of professionals to private healthcare.
- Equal pay in all autonomous communities.
- Measures to improve occupational health and work-life balance.
A commitment to Europe and the need to upgrade
The minister stressed that the reform of the Framework Statute responds to a Government requirement to adapt the regulations to the commitments acquired with Europe, within the framework of European funds. She pointed out that the text is still in the process of dialogue with unions, autonomous communities and healthcare professionals, but warned that the changes must be made with caution in order to avoid abrupt modifications in the organization of the National Health System.
In relation to the doctors’ demonstration, García assured that he understands the unease of the sector and that the protests are legitimate. However, he asked that the debate be approached with rigor and denied that the Framework Statute imposes a 48-hour working week, explaining that this limit is a maximum and not an obligation. He also recalled that the new statute incorporates improvements such as the regulation of on-call duty, the reduction of job insecurity and the right to adequate breaks.
Asked if she would participate in the demonstration if she were not a minister, García pointed out that the current working conditions of doctors reflect the need to reform a Framework Statute that has not been updated for 23 years. She insisted that it is necessary to make progress in improving the conditions of healthcare professionals, but without forgetting that they are all part of the civil service and that any reform must guarantee the stability of the healthcare system.
