The union organization SATSE Alicante has highlighted the critical pressure faced by several units at the Elche hospital. According to the union, the sustained increase in activity, especially in surgical wards, has not been accompanied by the necessary staff reinforcement, which compromises patient safety and the physical and emotional health of professionals.
The overload has worsened in recent months, particularly in the third and fourth floors, as well as in the physiotherapy department. One of the factors that has intensified this healthcare pressure has been the increase in interventions resulting from the shock plan activated to reduce waiting lists, a measure that, according to the union, has been implemented without the staffing coverage required by such an increase in activity.
“"Professionals are being asked to take on an unmanageable workload, risking both their occupational health and patient safety."
The union emphasizes that the current situation is not an isolated incident but a prolonged problem for which no fundamental solutions are being adopted. Pressure in the most affected units has grown in line with the increase in surgical activity, without a corresponding increase in human resources, which has shifted the burden of this strategy onto staff who were already working at their limit.
One of the most problematic points identified is the afternoon shift, which concentrates numerous hospital admissions with insufficient nursing staff. This combination turns afternoons into a particularly vulnerable scenario, with professionals forced to assume an unsustainable care burden. The increasing complexity of patients, who require more complex care and longer stays, further exacerbates the need for better-sized staff.
SATSE rejects temporary solutions and calls for stable measures. It has demanded from the Ministry of Health a permanent increase in the nursing and physiotherapy staff, calculated based on the real needs of the center. The union reminds that Elche General University Hospital not only serves the local population but also acts as a reference center for patients from the entire South Alicante area, which requires planning its resources with a broad vision to ensure safe and quality care for citizens.
