Humphrey CarterPalma04/03/2020 14:09
TW
0

I have always championed the Ib-Salut Balearic Health Service and have received similar reports from friends and colleagues who live elsewhere in Spain - some of whom actually work in the public health sector. But, what I can not understand is why the health service, as a whole, is constantly under staffed - even so, they still manage to do a better job than in the UK.

Spain lost more than 18,000 health professionals in the first two months of the year. According to the latest figures, January saw almost 15,000 professionals resign while February saw a further 3,300 leave.

“This level of job destruction has not occurred since 2013, a time of massive cuts due to the economic crisis,” said the Independent Trade Union and Officials Centre (CSIF).

“These figures reflect once again the effects of short-term contracts and the precarious employment offered by our public bodies.”

And, coronavirus has been ruled out for being responsible. I think it’s not only the problem of fickle contracts - the bottom line is pay and that is why for years, nurses, doctors and specialists have been flocking to the UK and other Northern European countries to work.

Firstly, as is common knowledge, the UK appears to be incapable of producing enough qualified and able people to staff the NHS, but secondly, wages are much higher and contracts more secure. It’s a shame for Spain that the brain drain continues.