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The Andalucía Health Service (SAS) is bringing in over 36,000 extra staff this summer to help cover the busy holiday season and ensure the region’s healthcare continues to run smoothly.

 

Speaking after Tuesday’s Governing Council meeting, Health Minister Rocío Hernández confirmed that 36,500 contracts will be issued. This includes 1,091 doctors and 12,791 nurses. The number of hires matches the figure from summer 2014 and is designed to respond to growing demand while also giving regular staff the chance to take well-earned time off.

 

According to Hernández, hiring will begin in June with 938 contracts. July will see the biggest wave with 13,551 new hires, followed by 12,321 in August, 8,667 in September and 1,052 in October.

 

The roles cover a wide range of services. In addition to doctors and nurses, there will be 12,016 places for care assistants and other technical staff, as well as 10,632 roles in admin, maintenance and hospitality.

 

All 1,513 primary care centres in Andalucía will stay open throughout the summer. Of these, 392 will also open in the afternoon from 3pm to 8pm, that’s two more than in 2024. Another 91 centres will carry on with scheduled care via Primary Care Basic Teams. A further 89 will operate under the Digital Health District scheme, although they won’t open in the afternoons.

 

In areas along the Strait of Gibraltar, where the population swells in the summer, nine health centres will get extra support, as well as six in Almería, one in Cádiz and two in Málaga, with a total of 49 extra professionals expected.

 

Funding for the summer plan is set at over €135 million, matching last year’s final spend, based on what the region has seen in recent summers.

 

Hospitals are also being prepared. Around 11,700 beds will be available, with others held in reserve just in case. Between January and May this year, 94 percent of Andalucía’s hospital beds were in use. Over the summer, they expect to operate at around 84 percent of that capacity. Last summer’s average occupancy was 66 percent, or roughly 8,700 beds.

 

Operating theatres will also stay busy, running at around 75 percent of their usual activity. Over 83,000 procedures are planned, along with more than three million diagnostic tests and three million outpatient appointments.

 

At the same time, the SAS will use the quieter months to carry out upgrades, repairs and energy-efficiency improvements at various health centres. Over €20 million is being invested in this work, with a special focus on modernising Primary Care facilities.

 

A new protocol has also been introduced in popular tourist areas to help manage the extra pressure. Hospitals will streamline emergency procedures, while local clinics will offer high-resolution appointments and walk-in consultations. Home care will also be expanded to support vulnerable patients without needing hospital visits.

 

 

Image: RDNE Stock project/Pexels