The new Minister of Health, Miguel Mínguez, has stepped into a demanding and intricate sector with a firm, ready stance. Trade unions and professional associations alike welcome the appointment of a physician to lead the department, arguing that medical perspective is essential to deeply understand the issues shaping the health system. Yet there is no room for delay; every group assigns him tasks, including urgent ones. The consensus is clear: expanding staffing is critical to ease the burden on the system, and people generally view his negotiating instincts as stronger than those of his immediate predecessor, Ana Barceló.
“Change is on the horizon,” notes Rosa Atienzar, secretary general of the autonomous Health federation of the CC OO union. She highlights not only systemic problems but also the fatigue stemming from the pandemic response. In ministries like this, leadership matters as much as the team below, and Atienzar believes renewal is necessary at multiple levels. Given Miguel Mínguez’s professional grounding in the field, the urgency to widen structural positions is underscored. She adds that the target should be to move from 6,000 to 15,000 staff to reach the national average.
Similarly, Víctor Pedrera, general secretary of the Valencian Community Medical Association (CESM), points to persistent shortages and the lingering impression of insufficient resources after the pandemic period. He emphasizes that claims of material gaps are evident and that current staffing falls short of what is needed to maintain quality care.
Hermann Schwarz, president of the Alicante College of Official Physicians, acknowledges that the minister’s medical background helps him better grasp frontline realities and advocate for the profession. This enhanced understanding is seen as a pathway to stronger health personnel across the system, which could shorten waiting lists and relieve the pressures currently faced by many clinics. He stresses putting physicians at the center of the health framework.
Health: expansion of hospitals versus endemic staff shortages
Eva Suárez, chair of the Valencia Community Primary Care Physicians Forum, highlights the immense strain on the health department. “We are at a breaking point,” she declares. Suárez believes the new minister’s willingness to negotiate could outpace Ana Barceló, who she describes as reluctant to engage in dialogue with the medical community. Her primary objective is to see a concrete action plan that attracts resident doctors finishing their training this month, so they do not depart to other autonomous communities.
Montserrat Angulo, president of the Alicante College of Nursing, expresses cautious optimism that progress made with the administration’s prior policies will continue. She supports reform efforts to replace the 1973 charter, which treated nurses as mere assistants, with a framework that fully recognizes nurses’ expertise. Angulo also stresses collaboration with other professional associations and unions to secure additional staffing levels. The overarching hope remains that staffing growth will accompany policy reforms, strengthening frontline care across hospitals and clinics.