Spanish health officials call for National Health System modernization

Regional health officials in Spain are calling for an urgent modernization of the National Health System (SNS) to address structural challenges and resource shortages. During a meeting at the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo in Santander, leaders from various autonomous communities discussed the need for better coordination and planning.

Fátima Matute, the Health Counselor for Madrid, warned that a lack of specialists in certain areas could compromise future healthcare delivery. She emphasized the necessity of improving human resource planning, ensuring generational replacement, and enhancing professional training mechanisms.

Jesús Fernández Sanz, the Health Counselor for Castilla-La Mancha, advocated for a new model focused on socio-sanitary integration, specifically targeting chronic illness, dependency, and fragility. He called for increased resources for mental and dental health, alongside improved digital governance and interoperability to allow patient medical records to be shared across regions. Sanz also highlighted the need for a fair financing model through a health pact to mitigate inequities caused by the current fragmented management across 17 autonomous communities.