Widespread Medical Strike in Spain Challenges Mónica García’s Estatuto Marco Reform
Healthcare professionals across Spain stage a major strike and protests on January 14 against the Estatuto Marco reform led by Health Minister Mónica García, disrupting services and demanding genuine negotiations.
- • Medical professionals in Madrid and Catalunya participate in a two-day strike against the Estatuto Marco reform.
- • Primary care consultations are suspended with only urgent services at 25% capacity; Blood and Tissue Bank at 50%.
- • The Ministry of Health delegated responsibility to autonomous communities to address demands, seen as shifting conflict.
- • Doctors call for major changes to the reform and genuine negotiations considering their claims.
Key details
On January 14, 2026, extensive medical strikes and protests swept across Spain, most notably in Madrid and Catalunya, as healthcare professionals rallied against reforms to the Estatuto Marco proposed by Health Minister Mónica García. This two-day strike highlights mounting discontent among doctors and medical staff regarding changes they consider harmful to working conditions and Spain’s health system.
Madrid became a focal point for the protests with a significant mobilization of doctors, including resident physicians (MIR), specialists undergoing training (FSE), and professionals from various hospitals linked to the SERMAS network such as Hospital Central de la Defensa Gómez Ulla and Fundación Jiménez Díaz. The strike has led to the suspension of all scheduled consultations in primary healthcare, with urgent care services running at only 25% capacity. Additionally, critical services such as the Blood and Tissue Bank are operating at half capacity.
The Ministry of Health recently sent a letter to autonomous communities, delegating responsibility for addressing medical sector demands, a move the protesting healthcare workers interpret as an effort to shift conflict and avoid genuine negotiation. Physicians emphasize the urgency of revising the reform proposals and initiating meaningful dialogue that seriously considers their concerns. The strike represents a critical moment in the ongoing debate over the future of Spain's healthcare workforce and system.
These coordinated actions underline the strong opposition among healthcare workers to the government’s reform approach. The protestors demand substantial modifications to the Estatuto Marco and reaffirm the need for authentic talks to resolve the conflict and improve working conditions across the Spanish public health sector.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
