Hospital Universitario de Jerez faces dietitian shortage

The CCOO union in Cádiz has reported that a shortage of dietitians at the Hospital Universitario de Jerez prevented patients from choosing elective menus on several days throughout August and September.

According to the union, the hospital operated with only one dietitian per shift during the summer to serve an average of 500 daily inpatients. CCOO notes that the standard staffing ratio should be approximately one dietitian for every 200 patients. While elective menus were suspended, clinical exceptions were made for pediatric diabetic and oncology patients to meet their specific nutritional needs.

The union further highlighted a structural deficit, noting that the hospital has lacked a Senior Technician in Nutrition and Food Control for over seven years. CCOO argues that the staffing issues are not merely a result of summer vacations but represent a long-standing shortage of human resources that impacts patient nutritional care.