Valencia Health Ministry and Doctors' Union Reach 35‑Hour Workweek Deal

The Valencian regional health department and the medical union CESM‑CV signed an agreement that will introduce a 35‑hour work week for public‑sector doctors starting 1 January 2027. Under the new schedule, regular shifts will run Monday to Friday, while Saturdays will be re‑classified as 24‑hour on‑call duties with additional pay and mandatory rest afterwards.

The pact also limits daily patient agendas in primary and hospital care, creates 24‑hour urgent‑care centers, and safeguards the training and working conditions of resident doctors. It aims to ease staff overload, improve service quality and end the regional doctors’ strike that had disrupted care for hundreds of thousands of patients. Health Minister Marciano Gómez highlighted the agreement as a sign of consensus‑‑driven reform for Valencia’s public health system.