News
Urgencias del Hospital del Mar to strike over waits of up to 70 hours
The staff of Urgencias del Hospital del Mar have called a strike for 3 November. They report waits of up to 70 hours and are demanding more staff, improved security, and more beds to put an end to boarding.
Staff call a protest for 3 November and demand more staff and beds
The staff statement describes an overwhelmed service: “more than 200 patients” in a space meant for “110 people”. Workers also report “160 hours of maximum retention” in the corridors.
They attribute a “34% increase in mortality” to waits of over six hours. These are figures provided by healthcare workers to explain why they consider the situation in the Emergency Department to be critical.
The protest will take place on 3 November
Staff have called a strike in the Emergency Department for 3 November. They are also calling on “all professionals and the public” to gather at 12:00 noon at the main entrance of the hospital.
The notice to patients carries the slogan “your safety is at stake”. According to the workers, there are waits of up to 70 hours in the corridors and “the situation is inhumane”.
More staff and beds for the Emergency Department
Healthcare workers describe the workforce as “collapsed” and say they are trying to defend public healthcare and their own working conditions. They report chronic burnout and physical assaults, and say that precarious conditions affect the entire hospital.
Among their demands are increasing staff numbers and having real security to eliminate assaults. They are also calling for beds to be opened to end boarding.
The workers are asking the authorities for “immediate solutions” and for negotiations on a regulatory agreement. They say they can no longer tolerate “more empty promises”.