The Minister of Health, Antonio Gómez Caamaño, highlighted that the Galician Primary and Community Care Reform Plan 2026-2030 will enhance doctors' clinical work through the creation of 165 new positions, the establishment of schedule limits, and the reduction of bureaucracy.
This initiative was communicated during a working meeting with officials from the Medical Colleges of the four Galician provinces, held at the San Lázaro administrative building, with the participation of management members from the Ministry of Health. The minister thanked the contributions from the Medical Colleges, scientific societies, and worker representatives in designing the plan, which is funded with over 320 million euros.
Gómez Caamaño emphasized the need for a significant transformation to safeguard the problem-solving capacity of family medicine, aiming for more time with patients and less on paperwork. The plan addresses the needs of an increasingly aging population with higher rates of chronic diseases, within a dispersed and rural territorial framework, and amidst a structural deficit of primary care physicians across the National Health System.
The Ministry of Health provided detailed information on the planned transformations, including a new organizational model for schedules, which is currently being piloted in the health centers of Cambre and Ferrol (Fontenla Maristany). A total of 14 health centers will test this new management model, with limits of 30 appointments for family medicine and 25 for pediatrics, along with clear criteria for managing excess demand. The new organization is also being implemented this week in the health centers of Poio, Allariz, and Fingoi (Lugo).
Furthermore, to alleviate the bureaucratic workload, a Technical Support Unit for Primary Care has been established, comprising 50 professionals dedicated to non-clinical administrative tasks in the most overloaded health centers.
The reform also includes the creation of 165 new permanent medical positions. The Ministry plans to modify the decree regulating professional remuneration to enhance aspects of the payroll that recognize more demanding roles. This will consider not only the number of patients assigned but also the complexity of patients and conditions of isolation or loneliness. An investment of 220 million euros is planned for renovating health centers, 7.4 million for equipment, and 50 million for advanced technology.
