Union claims Malaga hospitals will close a quarter of beds in summer

HOSPITALS run by the Andalucian Health Service will close 25 per cent of beds in Malaga Province, twice as many as in 2013 and more than half of operating theatres in summer, says a trade union.
A report published by the health division of the CCOO union claims that the hospitals in Malaga will close a total of 528 beds this summer (25.13 per cent) from July 1 with most remaining closed until September 15. Of those beds closed, 427 will be in the large medical centres of the capital: Carlos Haya Regional Hospital and the University Clinic hospital.
The CCOO’s provincial Secretary of Health, Rafael Gonzalez Delgado has claimed that the closure of beds and surgeries this summer will cause great problems for patients, and could lead to a collapse in the urgent care system with a lack of beds available for patients to be admitted to. He added that this would dramatically increase the waiting lists, which are already over-subscribed.
The report concludes that this summer’s plan for reducing the number of hospital beds represents yet another cut to the Malaga public health service, given that the province already has one of the region’s lowest ratio of hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants. Furthermore, the document claims that only 10 per cent of staff would be employed to provide holiday cover for 75 per cent of the daily shifts, while the minimum percentage of staff employed should provide 60 per cent of holiday cover to fulfil 100 per cent of the daily shifts. The report further claims that Malaga hospitals would suspend 50 per cent of surgical procedures, apart from the Clinico hospital which would carry out 60 per cent of planned operations.
A spokesperson from the SAS, the Andalucian Health Service, denied that hospital beds would be closed this summer but claimed beds would be put on reserve and used if necessary. “As is the case every year, the Andalucian public health service will continue to provide a service during summer but adapts to the changing reality of this season. Summer services are planned based on the experiences of previous years.” The spokesperson added that urgent care service was guaranteed and that patients would be attended to.