Healthcare Professionals in the Canary Islands Rally for Immediate Publication of Merit Lists

Urgent Call to Action

Healthcare professionals across the Canary Islands have gathered outside the main hospitals in the region, urging the Servicio Canario de la Salud (SCS) to promptly issue the lists of candidates entitled to positions through merit before the exams take place. This issue particularly affects physicians, with exams scheduled for 29 September and a strike notice planned for 22 September. In Tenerife, demonstrations were held outside the Hospital Universitario de Canarias (HUC) and the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (HUNSC), as well as at various health centres.

Concerns Over Job Security

At these protests, unions and workers asserted that the non-publication of these lists before the exams creates “complete insecurity” regarding their roles. On Friday, several resolutions were released, confirming the final results of the merit competition for the exceptional stabilisation process in categories such as clinical psychology, senior technician, administrative functions, and senior technician in psychology. Moreover, as reported by Atlántico Hoy, the health department is ignoring the doctors’ concerns and has officially scheduled exams for stabilising positions.

“We Are Not Asking for Anything Extraordinary”

Outside La Candelaria, Purificación Ramírez, a delegate from the UGT Medical Union, explained to Atlántico Hoy that their only demand is for the SCS to publish the lists. “It’s not just doctors here; professionals from various categories and management are also present, from nurses to IT specialists. Uncertainty arises when it is unclear who needs to sit for the exam to secure a stabilisation position.”

This stabilisation process has been pending for six years. Ramírez added that one process “should conclude and lead into the next; however, that has not occurred,” insisting that the SCS must correct this to ensure legal security and stability for all involved professional categories.

Union Manifesto Highlights SCS Non-compliance

UGT also denounced the SCS for failing to adhere to the stabilisation process in a manifesto presented during the demonstration. According to the organisation, the health administration has not guaranteed the publication of the final merit-based allocation lists before the exams, despite this being stipulated in the call for applications. UGT emphasises that this step is not a mere formality but the foundation of transparency, legal security, and assurance for professionals supporting public healthcare.

The union reminded that physicians are the first to be affected by the absence of prior lists, though the situation also impacts larger groups such as nursing, TCAE, and administrative staff. It calls for the immediate publication of the lists, full adherence to the established bases and timetable, and the cessation of duplicated processes that breed uncertainty and jeopardise ongoing care. UGT urges unity among all staff and calls on the SCS to rectify its course to ensure job stability and the quality of healthcare in the Canary Islands.