The Counselor of Health, Fátima Matute, has reaffirmed the Regional Government's willingness to engage in dialogue with doctors and medical staff to find solutions to the intermittent indefinite strike demanding a specific Marco Statute. Matute highlighted the initiatives promoted by the regional Executive to improve the professional and working conditions of the collective, calling them essential for Madrid's public healthcare system.
The counselor emphasized that Isabel Díaz Ayuso's government has maintained "constant and active" communication with healthcare professionals through institutional bodies and specific meetings. Sectoral tables were held on May 8 and 22, along with a meeting with the strike committee on May 8. She reiterated the Ministry of Health's "full willingness" to convene further meetings to advance towards consensual solutions.
Matute stressed that the demands put forth by doctors align with the position the Community of Madrid has defended since the first quarter of 2026. "The Community of Madrid has been the first in Spain to advocate for a specific Marco Statute for doctors that recognizes the profession's uniqueness and allows for specific, binding negotiation," she stated. She added that this recognition should not be seen as a confrontation with other professional categories, as "we all are necessary."
The counselor argued that recognizing doctors also strengthens the healthcare system as a whole and called on the Central Government and the Ministry of Health to implement essential structural reforms. These include professional reclassification, recognition of on-call duties for contribution and retirement purposes, and an increase in base salary, all of which require specific dedicated funding.
At the regional level, Matute recalled that the Community of Madrid has already approved an increase in the hourly rate for on-call shifts, which will be reflected in payrolls starting in July, and announced further pay increases for 2027. The Ministry of Health is also working on modernizing the organizational model, aiming to phase out mandatory 24-hour on-call shifts through pilot projects before the end of 2026.
The counselor also highlighted progress in professional stability within the Madrileño Health Service (Sermas), with approximately 30,000 professionals having become permanent statutory staff since 2023. Over 250 selection processes that were pending have been completed, and more than 2,300 professionals have been incorporated through merit-based selection without exams. Additionally, over 3,600 positions were offered in a transfer contest, and the commitment was made to hold public employment offers every two years, alternating with transfer contests.
The Regional Government maintains open negotiations to reach agreements, although it attributes a significant portion of fundamental reforms to the state level. The Community of Madrid maintains that the specific Medical Statute should recognize the profession's uniqueness, improve working conditions, and ensure adequate funding for effective implementation.
