Why Mallorca doctors are right to go on strike

Among the most contentious points is a proposal to oblige newly qualified specialists to work exclusively in the public system for five years after training. While intended to strengthen public services, this could deter young doctors from working in Spain at all - let alone choosing a region like Mallorca, where recruitment is already difficult and living costs high.

The draft reform also opens the door to the expanded use of non-medical professionals in roles traditionally reserved for fully-qualified doctors. This is presented as a solution to chronic staffing shortages, but it risks undermining standards of care and blurring lines of responsibility.

The UK’s experience should serve as a warning. In areas where it is difficult to recruit doctors, cheaper, non-medical staff are often used as substitutes. While this increases the number of appointments, the truth is that the bulk of a doctor’s work simply can’t be done by a nurse, physio or physician associate. Concerns about patient safety have grown so significant that the UK government has commissioned the Leng Review to examine the safety and effectiveness of some of these roles.

Ultimately, economic pressures make it tempting for health services to rely on less costly staff, or those who are obliged to work in the public sector, but this short-term fix comes at a long-term price. Spain, with its ongoing brain drain and ageing population, cannot afford to alienate its doctors or compromise the quality of care.

It’s telling that the strike has broad support among doctors, who know first-hand what is at stake for their patients and their profession. However, this is not just a doctors’ issue, it’s about the health and wellbeing of everyone.