The Independent and Civil Servants Union (CSIF), the majority force in the Sectoral Table of the Andalusian Health Service (SAS), has expressed concern over the lack of information and transparency in managing the public Andalusian healthcare's Summer Plan. The union believes the 14% increase in contracts announced by the SAS is insufficient and warns that it will be 'complicated' to maintain healthcare activity, especially in hard-to-cover areas and those experiencing significant population increases during summer, such as Almería, Málaga, and Cádiz.
With the summer planning set to begin soon, many healthcare centers in Andalusia still lack complete information. In some areas, no informational meetings have been held with professionals, while others have only communicated vacation schedules without detailing coverage plans. CSIF regrets the opacity of the process and the lack of participation, emphasizing that professionals have the right to know how healthcare will be guaranteed.
In Almería, the situation is exacerbated by the lack of planned hires for essential categories such as administrative staff, speech therapists, social workers, and occupational therapists, which will likely increase the workload for existing staff. CSIF recalls that last summer saw delays in appointments, closures of Primary Care consultations in the afternoons, and difficulties in filling positions, a situation that could be repeated.
The union points out that difficulties in finding professionals continue to affect specialties like Family Medicine, as well as auxiliary staff, administrative personnel, midwives, occupational therapists, and specialist technicians. CSIF warns that a portion of the SAS's announced budget increase might not be executed due to a shortage of available professionals, particularly in hard-to-cover areas. They conclude that another summer with insufficient staffing and limited services is likely, without transparent planning or effective measures.
