Galicia health system strained as summer staff cuts bottleneck emergency rooms

Socialist leaders in Galicia warned that the regional government's decision to reduce health‑care staff for the summer is blocking emergency services. PSdeG secretary‑general José Ramón Gómez Besteiro said more than 500 hospital beds – almost 100 in A Coruña – have been closed, leaving emergency departments overwhelmed and waiting times increasing. He criticised the Xunta for “adapting” health services to a lack of personnel rather than planning resources, and demanded details on how vacant beds will be filled.

Deputy Julio Torrado echoed the criticism, calling the government's handling “chaotic” and insufficient. He opposed a proposal that would label only the Ourense university hospital's emergency department as a “hard‑to‑cover” area, arguing that a comprehensive, Galicia‑wide plan is needed to secure stable staffing and avoid further service disruptions.