Galicia prison nurses face precarious working conditions

Nursing professionals working in Galicia's five prisons—Teixeiro, A Lama, Bonxe, Monterroso, and Pereiro de Aguiar—are facing precarious working conditions, including lower salaries and increased security risks compared to their counterparts in the public health system.

According to Ministry of Interior data, 42 nurses are responsible for 3,461 inmates, resulting in an average of over 80 patients per nurse, a figure that does not account for unfilled vacancies due to leave or vacations. The nursing collective has been waiting 23 years for their working conditions to be equalized with the regional health service (Sergas).

While the Law of Cohesion and Quality of the National Health System mandated the transfer of prison healthcare services to autonomous communities, only Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Navarra have completed this transition. The Nursing Union (SATSE) is calling for the completion of this transfer across Spain to improve the conditions of healthcare workers in prisons.