Junta attempts to tackle appointment backlog in the region's health centres

Family doctors, nurses and pediatricians have been given the option to work more hours in the afternoon in the centres under the most pressure. Patients should have to wait no more than four days for a face-to-face consultation

Ángel Escalera

Wednesday, 2 February 2022, 12:46 | Updated 17:59h.

With health centres facing up to 30 per cent more requests for appointments, the Junta de Andalucía has given doctors and nurses the option to work more hours in the afternoon in the centres under the most pressure. These new measures should reduce waiting times to no more than four days for a face-to-face consultation or five days for a telephone consultation, it is hoped.

Unveiling the new Primary Care reinforcement plan on 1 February, regional Minister of Health, Jesús Aguirre, said efforts are already underway to provide health centres with more staff.

Compared to December 2021, in January there are an extra 387 professionals available, 97 doctors, 251 nurses and 39 administrative assistants. Compared to 2019, Andalucía starts the year with 410 more doctors, he said.

The Health minister also pledged more staff to support the work of the Salud Responde app.

Aguirre said the plan takes into account that winter sees high demands on the health service because of flu and other seasonal infections. The option of extra working shifts for medical professionals in the afternoon is offered to doctors who are behind with their schedules or have a mountain of pending tasks. So far, 1,510 health centres across the region’s 34 health districts have expressed an interest in the Plan.

Spokesman for the Junta, Elías Bendodo, said pressure on the health system is not unique to Andalucía but felt all across Spain and Europe. He added that under the leadership of the Partido Popular the number of health workers in Andalucía has risen from 95,000 to 125,000.

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