Concerns Raised Over Planned Cutbacks at Tenerife Hospital
The Nursing Union, Satse, has voiced its concerns in a statement on Tuesday regarding the “cutbacks and the reorganisation of staff” proposed by the Canary Island Health Service at the University Hospital Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. According to the organisation, these measures will impact “healthcare resources and increase pressure” on medical professionals.
Plans for Unit Closures
The statement indicates that the plan includes the complete closure of the Home Hospitalisation Unit (HADO), as well as the reduction of beds in various surgical wards and the redistribution of staff to other units. Satse warns that these decisions will lead to “fewer professionals being hired” to meet healthcare needs during the holiday season.
High Demand for Services
The union considers it “particularly serious” to implement these measures amid a context of high healthcare demand. Specifically, it highlights that the Emergency Departments at La Candelaria Hospital and the Southern Hospital handle an average of 500 patients daily, making it “difficult to justify a reduction in beds and resources.”
Satse argues that there will be numerous instances where it will be necessary to reopen closed beds and wards to meet existing demand, which would also require the hiring of “new staff to ensure adequate care.” Therefore, the union demands that the Canary Island Health Service provide “immediate and transparent” information on the holiday plan, the intended closures, and human resources planning.
Addressing Staff Absences
The union also insists on the replacement of 100% of “absences due to holidays, sick leave, permits, or any other incidents,” aiming to “prevent further workload on existing staff and to ensure safe, quality healthcare.”
In response to this situation, Satse has announced the commencement of protests at the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Hospital to call for a halt to the cutbacks, the maintenance of healthcare resources, and necessary hiring during the summer period. The organisation states that “two demonstrations have already been scheduled at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC)” to highlight the lack of hiring over the summer and the reduction of staff.
According to Satse, the professionals at HUC will continue to gather in the coming weeks, warning of an “upcoming summer of protests” at the two main hospitals in Tenerife.
