Spain needs 10,000 more family doctors to replace those who have retired

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After celebrating Family Medicine Day this week , it has been confirmed that in Spain, Primary Care, which is so vital for the prevention and health needs of the population, faces a difficult situation. According to the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine "more family doctors and other professionals must be hired, in addition to updating the centers at a technological and infrastructure level."

10,000 more family doctors are needed to replace those who retire, in addition to €3 billion to recruit and improve current contracts .

The Spanish Society of Family and Community Special Data Medicine has sent a document to the Ministry of Health asking that 7,000 family doctors be hired , which would also mean reducing the assigned population from 1,300 patients per consultation to 1,000.


In addition, places are requested for other professionals, so that for every family doctor position there is one nursing position , one administrative position for every two doctors and nurses, and one assistant for every four teams .


Primary Care faces a complex generational change; it is the second specialty with the oldest pyramid . A third are over 60 and 60% are over 50.



The Association comments that "the most optimistic forecast indicates that through the mechanism of renewal of the Family Medicine population through natural means there will be 8,285 new specialists , if all the MIRs who are currently in the process of obtaining the specialty are incorporated."


But this would not be enough, since in the next 5 years a third of family doctors would retire , which means 12,034 doctors .