The socialist candidate, María Jesús Montero, is committed to focusing the debate of the regional elections on health. This was stated in his first appearance after the elections were called, also pointing out, even before the date of May 17 was announced, that he knows that the president of the Board, Juanma Moreno, wants to establish health co-payment. “He (Moreno) knows that I know, because he knows who he consulted and who he told him,” and “that’s as far as I can tell you,” she said at the party’s regional headquarters, in addition to highlighting that she does not spread “hoaxes or lies like the PP.”
In the socialist ranks they want to spread the mantra of the “deterioration of public services” during the campaign. They will especially focus on public health, following the most serious crisis that Moreno has endured in the now-expiring legislature: that of breast cancer screenings. A problem that resulted in the resignation of the leadership of the Ministry of Health, a reorganization of services and a greater investment effort. Regarding Montero’s opinion, the Board was categorical, pointing out that the supposed financing by patients of part of the costs of healthcare is a “flatly false” idea. This was stated by the spokesperson for the Andalusian Government and Minister of Economy, Carolina España, after the weekly meeting of the Government Council, which is why Montero punctures with this argument.
With the political debate in the background, the Andalusian Executive continues to take steps to improve the system and the conditions of professionals. In this area, the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) has reached an agreement within the Sectoral Health Board with all the unions present – Satse, SMA-F, CSIF, CC OO and UGT – for the implementation of a new professional career model, which “updates and unifies” the current system.
The agreement also contemplates an “exceptional and unique” framing process, aimed at facilitating the transition from the current model to the new system, allowing the situation of professionals to be adapted, recognizing their previous career and guaranteeing a homogeneous incorporation into the new professional career framework, as explained by sources from the Sectorial Table to Europa Press. It is estimated that around 44,601 professionals will benefit from this framework with access to a higher level, of which approximately 32,105 (72%) are healthcare professionals and 12,496 (28%) belong to management and services, which highlights the great scope of the agreement and its direct impact on the workforce. Likewise, as an additional transitory measure, the payment with retroactive effects of the process of unlocking the professional career of management and service personnel is guaranteed, including groups A1 and A2, C1 and C2, as well as professional groups, which allows previous situations to be regularized and ensure their full integration into the new model.
Almost 20,000 professionals will benefit from this process. The people who will be able to access Level V between the first ordinary process of 2026 and the exceptional framing process are 15,246, of which 10,688 are health workers (70.1%) and 4,558 management and services (29.9%). This new unanimous agreement with the Sector Roundtable reinforces the dialogue agenda with union representatives, which has resulted in the approval of the new Employment Exchange pact reached last December, the merit scales for management and service personnel for advancement also in their careers or the pact for Primary Care, in addition to the 2022 agreement that allowed improving the salary conditions of Medicine and Nursing professionals.
This new model replaces the one signed in 2006 and allows overcome “normative dispersion” accumulated in recent years and “move towards a single, more coherent and predictable model.” The Minister of Health, Presidency and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, announced a new professional career model after assuming health responsibilities last October. As explained by sources from the aforementioned Sectoral Roundtable, the new model configures a “clearer, more orderly and coherent” system, based on the evaluation of competencies, professional performance and contribution to the organization’s objectives, and aimed at recognizing the trajectory, experience and professional development of health professionals and management and services.
Among its main characteristics, the system maintains the “horizontal, voluntary and individualized” professional career structure, articulated in five progressive levels, with periodic evaluation and based on objective criteria, guaranteeing the principles of equality, merit, capacity, transparency and sustainability.