The Minister of Health of the Government of Navarra, Fernando Domínguez, has expressed his wish that the "impact" of the decision by part of the medical staff to stop working overtime "be as minimal as possible," and has stressed that he is working to "unblock" the situation through meetings with the Medical Union and with different services of the healthcare system, with the goal of "returning to normal as soon as possible."
In the plenary session of the Parliament of Navarra, and following a question from UPN, Domínguez has detailed that the actions designed to "cushion the impact" of those who have opted not to work overtime "are diverse." Firstly, he has indicated that "the option to work overtime has been maintained for all those who wish to do so, including those who do not normally do it or in case some professionals change their minds and decide to do it," recalling that "extraordinary activity is voluntary and it is entirely up to the professional at all times whether or not to do it."
Likewise, he has pointed out that "an attempt has been made to include all the most delicate activity and also first consultations in the schedules, and we have spoken with the contracted centers to see what activity could be referred." As he explained, "we have prioritized what type of activity and which patients are referred, and it has been done with the most urgent cases or those that could compromise a diagnosis or follow-up."
Domínguez has clarified that "we will not know the success or failure" of these measures "until the first week of next month" and has added: "Hopefully, we are managing to minimize the impact on our patients" and that "we manage to return to normal as soon as possible, and for that, we all have to do our part." In the meantime, he has insisted on the need to "attend, with all the resources at our disposal, to all those people who were going to have their appointment or intervention in the afternoon this month."
In parallel, he has stressed that work is being done to "unblock this situation" through meetings with the Medical Union of Navarra, from which "I left hopeful" and with the intention of "seeking agreements and trying to reverse the situation." He added that "as negotiation rules, we agreed on respect and to have as a common objective to improve healthcare for the citizens of Navarra and the conditions of the professionals."
In this regard, she pointed out that "positive" meetings have also been held with various health services to "analyze all the elements necessary for their activity, points and areas for improvement, and the requests they make of us regarding perceived needs to improve their performance, including also the management of waiting lists."
On the other hand, UPN parliamentarian Leticia San Martín has assured that in the last three years the volume of patients referred to private healthcare has increased by 20% and that it has "tripled" if only specialist consultations are considered. She has reproached Domínguez that "you are mistaken if you believe that the solution is to negotiate with doctors" and has accused her of trying to convey that the conflict is due to "a core group of doctors with an economic request."
San Martín has warned that "the problem is deeper." She has pointed out that health professionals "have gone public to say enough is enough" due to "attacks and lack of respect" and due to "overtime overload and the imposition of a care model that prioritizes initial consultations over follow-ups." Nurses, primary care administrative staff, psychologists, and various professional associations have joined these complaints, expressing their "discontent" and demanding "a change of course" from Domínguez. "Perhaps you don't know where to steer this ship," the UPN parliamentarian concluded.