News
Madrid wants to transform 24-hour medical shifts
The Community of Madrid wants to change how medical on-call shifts are organised in public healthcare. The regional government supports moving towards a model in which 24-hour shifts are no longer compulsory, a measure that would directly affect thousands of Sermas professionals.
The debate is significant. Twenty-four-hour on-call shifts have been part of how hospitals and healthcare centres operate for years, but they are also at the centre of many complaints about fatigue, work-life balance, occupational health and quality of life. Changing that system means reorganising shifts, teams and care coverage.
The Consejería de Sanidad, led by Fátima Matute, insists that freedom of choice must be the priority. The idea is that doctors who want to continue doing 24-hour on-call shifts should be able to do so, but that there should be no general imposition on those who prefer other working models.
The proposal comes amid a nationwide debate on regulating on-call shifts. The Ministerio de Sanidad, headed by Mónica García, has received reports from several autonomous communities, including Madrid, calling for flexibility so that any change can be adapted to the reality of each healthcare system.
In Madrid’s case, the Sermas has had a working group since February dedicated to studying alternatives. It includes doctors from different specialties and hospitals, with the aim of designing a viable model that improves working conditions without putting patient care at risk.
The key will be how the transition is organised. Reducing or removing the compulsory nature of long on-call shifts requires reviewing staffing levels, schedules, rest periods, night coverage and emergency care. Changing a rule is not enough: the system must be able to operate reliably.
For professionals, the measure could represent a major step forward for work-life balance and wellbeing. For patients, the challenge will be ensuring that any new model maintains continuity of care, reduces doctors’ exhaustion and improves safety in care.
The discussion gives a clear picture of where healthcare in Madrid is heading: a system trying to adapt to new labour demands without losing its capacity to respond. Twenty-four-hour on-call shifts are no longer being debated solely as an internal hospital matter, but as a key element in defining what healthcare will look like in the coming years.