Aumento de más de 7.300 enfermeras fijas en el Servicio Andaluz de Salud
The Minister of Health and Consumption, Rocío Hernández, appeared before a parliamentary committee to highlight her department’s commitment to Nursing, a group that she considers «one of the fundamental pillars of our public health system.» Hernández emphasized that «the professionalism, care, dedication, and attention to detail that they give to each and every patient in different consultations and care settings are virtues that dignify our public system and give it a special value of which we should be proud.»
The Minister emphasized the commitment of the Andalusian Government to stabilizing employment and improving the working conditions of these professionals. She provided a key piece of data that «demonstrates the government’s commitment to the work of nursing professionals: more than 37,700 average personnel of this specialty work in the public health system of Andalusia, 8,500 more than in 2018, of which 7,341 are permanent additions structurally integrated into the SAS workforce.» In this sense, she stressed that «never before had so many nursing professionals worked in the public system, and there had never been such labor stability.»
Hernández detailed the reinforcements in different nursing specialties: 102 case management nurses in senior centers, 44 advanced practice nurses in diabetes, 36 for chronic wound management, 32 in ostomies, 43 in oncology, 411 in family and community, and another 411 as educational center references. These increases have contributed to Andalusia improving «several statistical indicators of health convergence in which our region was lagging,» according to a report from the Ministry of Health.
The Minister also detailed improvements in working conditions, such as the increase in remuneration for additional working hours and continuous care, so, in the case of Primary Care nurses, these increases reach 24.61% on weekdays; 22.61% on weekends and holidays, and 24.61% on special holidays. Additionally, complements for all A2 healthcare staff in hospitals have been increased by 150 euros and the value of Age Adjusted Cards (TAE) for Primary Care staff has been modified.
Furthermore, thanks to the Professional Career model in Andalusia, «one of the most demanding and advanced in the country,» remuneration for nursing professionals has increased by over 4,600 euros annually for Primary Care and over 3,700 euros annually for hospital care since 2018. The Government Council approved a budget modification to increase the allocation for the Professional Performance Bonus (Productivity) by almost 18 million euros, benefiting 120,524 professionals, 5,000 more than in 2023.
Regarding job stability, a priority objective of the Government, Rocío Hernández reported that «three-quarters of the temporary nursing staff at the Andalusian Health Service have long-term contracts.» To continue reducing temporality, Public Employment offers for 2022, 2023, and 2024 have been announced, with Nursing exams taking place on May 17th. This will allow for the stabilization of 6,267 nurses from different specialties and care levels, who «will have a permanent position in the SAS workforce,» she stated.
Finally, the Minister addressed the reform of the Employment Exchange. The current model, nearly 20 years old, «cannot meet the needs of today’s reality in Andalusia and poses a series of inherited problems that ultimately affect professionals.»
The new system proposed will «streamline hiring, incorporate newly graduated specialists, automate processes, simplify scoring, improve legal security and equity, and adapt the system to the digital and care reality.» In conclusion, it advocates for «a more agile, fair, transparent, efficient, reliable, and less discretionary model, more linked to the current health needs of Andalusia and with a greater emphasis on professional merits (at least 85%).» The first step was taken in November of last year with the permanent opening of the Electronic Window for the Nursing Exchange, allowing for the scoring of 11 million merits from 183,328 job seekers.
