health system

The Catalan President, Artur Mas, announced that he along with ministers, deputy ministers, and directors-general would not receive the Christmas bonus this year. The measure affects all the Catalan Government’s higher-ranked staff and is meant to send a message of austerity. 350 people will see their salary reduced, saving 1.8 million euros of public money. It is an answer to doctor and nursing unions, who had asked politicians to reduce their salaries. Last year, higher-ranked officials experienced a 15% salary cut.

The Catalan Government is obliged to reduce the public deficit and the public healthcare system is also subsequently affected by the budget cuts. Doctor and nursing unions are mobilised, while salary reduction and temporary lay offs are being discussed. Waiting lists have increased due to some hospital services being partially and temporarily closed, especially during the summer months. Many citizens have been protesting, in different demonstrations. The Catalan Health Ministry announced new maximum waiting times for severe interventions. In addition, some hospitals are reopening some operating rooms.

The Catalan Government is reducing public deficit and cutting public spending by 10% this year. All areas are affected, including healthcare, which is one of the departments with a smaller percentage budget reduction. Last August, 25 community health centres (CAP) reduced their opening hours, closing their emergency room during nights and weekends as they were scarcely used; as of this September, another 21 centres in a similar situation have been added to the list. Citizens have been camping in some CAPs to protest about the decision.

Staff drain and changes in training programs, the main causes according to the Catalan Nurses Association. In the last years, Catalonia has been “exporting” nurses abroad, mainly to the United Kingdom, the US and Italy.

The Catalan Government is cutting the Healthcare System’s expenditure by 10% because the public deficit needs to be drastically reduced this year. Health professionals started protesting last week because they fear a worsening of services and working conditions. The Catalan Minister for Health, Boi Ruiz guaranteed basic health services, but the protests continue.

Two hundred patients are already attended by webcam. The number is expected to grow to 500 over next two years.

The Catalan Health Minister, Boi Ruiz, announced today that waiting lists will increase - with the exception of “life or death” situations. Hospitals will see their budget in health treatments and explorations decrease by 2%. In addition, the construction of new hospitals and health centres will also be put on stand by.

The Catalan Minister for Health, Boi Ruiz, announced today that patients will get a symbolic bill when leaving the centre informing them about the drug treatments’ costs. The Minister also stated that “for the moment” patients will not have to directly pay a part of the medical costs.

The Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona will have 2 new buildings in 2014 dedicated to biomedical research. The new space will be of 17,000 square metres. The new buildings will be integrated into the daily activities of the university health centre. Then, at a second phase, the space for research will reach 28,000 square meters.

The new Catalan Minister for Health comes from the private sector and he is an independent. As the Chair of the Catalan Union of Hospitals, the health business-owners association, he proposed to pay for some service in public hospitals. His main challenge will be to reduce the public expenditure on healthcare.

This morning Catalan Minister for Health Marina Geli made a cooperation agreement with Gambian Minister for Health Aboubakarr Gaye.

The Catalan Ministry of Social Care calculates a total of 80,000 diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease patients in Catalonia, a number that is expected to double in the next 10 years. The Ministry is now promoting a new attention model for Alzheimer’s patients based on individualised therapy and family collaboration.

Catalonia and Andorra are working together to develop juridical framework for attending to patients in both territories. The agreement would allow the sharing of patient records and information so that Catalans and Andorrans may seek out medical services more easily when being in the other side of the border.

There has been a drop in mortality in Catalonia despite a growing population. The Minister for Health, Marina Geli, says this might be an effect of speedier emergency services.