Galicia launches 50‑person unit to cut primary‑care bureaucracy

The regional government of Galicia announced that a new support unit will be created to handle administrative tasks for primary‑care physicians. President of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, said the unit will consist of 50 qualified professionals and will process prescriptions, orthopaedic referrals, non‑urgent ambulance requests and health reports, tasks that currently occupy 30‑40% of doctors’ time.

The unit is expected to become operational within weeks as part of a broader reform of primary‑care services, which also includes strengthening the directorates of the seven health areas and establishing a General Directorate of Primary Care to monitor quality and oversee health centres. Opposition politicians raised concerns about unequal access to paediatric care and growing waiting lists, but the government framed the move as a way to free doctors to focus on patient care.