As July arrives, so do widespread doctor vacations, leading to substantial delays for medical appointments across the province of Alicante. Patients are experiencing wait times of up to a month, with some needing to wait until August 4th for a simple blood test due to their doctor being on leave without replacement.
This situation highlights a critical shortage of medical staff and raises concerns about the quality of healthcare during the summer months.
Uneven Physician Replacement Across the Province
The replacement of holidaying physicians varies significantly throughout Alicante Province. The northern half of the province and the city of Alicante generally see higher replacement rates.
For instance, the Marina Alta department boasts a 63.72% relief rate, though even there, delays of up to a month are occurring. Marina Baixa, which experiences a summer surge in demand, has a 38.13% replacement rate, while Sant Joan stands at 40.95% and Alicante-Doctor Balmis at 46.94%. The Elche-General Hospital department has a 24.33% replacement rate for primary care physicians.
However, some areas, particularly coastal ones, are facing severe shortages. Torrevieja is a notable exception on the coast, with a mere 11.79% of primary care physicians having their vacations covered, and just over 4% in the hospital.
María José Gimeno, deputy general secretary of the CESMCV Medical Union, calls the situation in Torrevieja “especially serious,” pointing out that while nursing staff has been significantly increased, doctor replacements are critically low. Similarly, the Orihuela area reports low coverage, with 18.62% of primary care doctors and a mere 1.91% in hospitals.
“Torrevieja is in terrible shape. Primary care is in a very bad state. 11.79% of physicians are being replaced, and 42.47% of nurses are being replaced, but that doesn’t take away from the medical agenda.”
María José Gimeno — Deputy General Secretary of the CESMCV Medical Union
Impact on Patient Wait Times and Staff Workload
The direct consequence of these shortages is extended wait times for patients. Beyond the month-long delays in areas like Dénia and Vinalopó, health centres in Alicante and Sant Joan are seeing waits of 10 to 15 days. Even shorter waits in Marina Baixa are still close to a week, while Elche-General Hospital’s department faces over ten days, stretching to twenty in Santa Pola. Torrevieja also reports wait times reaching 12 days, and Orihuela seven days.
Medical professionals are also feeling the strain. Dr. Mari Ángeles Medina, from an Elche health centre, notes the complexity of summer primary care planning given limited resources.
Doctors on duty are often exceeding 40 patient consultations per day in July and August, rising to over 50 in September. The Medical Profession Forum emphasizes that this structural shortage should not be addressed by overworking existing staff, warning that increasing on-call hours or forcing unlimited work schedules will only worsen the problem and compromise both patient care and professional well-being.
Budget Allocations and Lack of Transparency
The Ministry of Health has allocated 82.5 million euros to cover healthcare during the summer, including opening 25 auxiliary beach clinics (six in Alicante province) and reinforcing 74 healthcare centres (thirty in Alicante).
This plan anticipates over 8,600 new hires. While the budget saw a three-million-euro increase from last year, medical unions express concern over the lack of incentives for doctors to take on additional appointments. Previously, bonuses were offered for extra appointments, but these have been eliminated, leading to uncompensated additional work for doctors.
Dr. Gimeno criticizes the Ministry of Health’s “lack of transparency” regarding holiday planning. She states that unlike previous years, the total number of staff, those on vacation, replacements, and contract numbers are not being clearly provided this year, making it difficult to assess the true extent of the shortages.
Hospital Bed Closures Add to Concerns
Further compounding the issue is the planned closure of at least 800 hospital beds across the province of Alicante this summer. This includes closures in major hospitals in Alicante, Elche, La Vila, Elda, Sant Joan, and Orihuela, affecting various units from outpatient surgery to paediatrics.
While some closures are attributed to ongoing renovations, unions like Satse warn that these measures, along with the suspension of consultations, tests, and surgeries, are standard practices to save costs, ultimately leading to increased waiting lists and compromised healthcare quality for patients.
The current situation paints a concerning picture for healthcare in Alicante Province this summer. With significant delays in appointments, uneven distribution of replacement staff, and hospital bed closures, both patients and medical professionals are facing a challenging period.
