Spain's health sector grapples with blood shortages, bed closures and staffing reforms

The Hospital Virgen de La Poveda in Arganda del Rey opened an emergency blood‑donation point on July 9 from 13:00 to 16:00 as the Community of Madrid reported blood reserves at just 35 % of capacity, triggering a red alert for all blood groups.

In Galicia, the regional organ and blood donation agency (ADOS) launched a broad appeal for donors, especially those with groups A+, O+ and O‑, scheduling mobile collection units across dozens of towns from July 7 to 11 and emphasizing a daily need of 400‑500 donations to sustain hospital services.

The Spanish Ministry of Health drafted a ministerial order that could restore Vigo as a venue for the upcoming MIR (specialist training) exam, after the city was excluded from the 2026 session; the proposal awaits final approval in the official gazette.

The nursing union Satse reported that 280 hospital beds will be closed in the province of Cádiz this summer, with the largest loss at Hospital Puerta del Mar (184 beds). The closures, together with reduced outpatient and surgical services, are blamed on cost‑cutting measures and staffing shortages despite a summer hiring plan of 6,623 contracts.

In Ourense, the Galician health council announced that a merit‑based competition will be held for emergency‑department positions at the University Hospital, counting three times the time worked for candidates. The move follows a law allowing extraordinary recruitment for posts considered difficult to fill and has sparked political debate over its effectiveness.