The Medical Association considered that the SNS Global Reference Framework for 2026-2028 "falls well short of the ambition needed" to ensure timely treatment of patients. The organization, led by Carlos Cortes, points to a "wrong strategy," giving as an example that the target for patients with a family doctor was reduced from 98% to 85.37%, remaining at that level until 2028, and that first hospital consultations within the Guaranteed Maximum Response Times reach only 40.24% in 2026.
The Association warned that surgical activity is declining, with 19,000 fewer scheduled surgeries between January and May 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, a drop of 5.4%, and that the QGR forecasts only 799,499 surgeries for 2026, practically the same number as in 2025. "It is unclear how the government intends to reduce waiting lists when surgical activity is falling," it criticized.
The organization also urged a review of the 1.4% limit for new permanent recruitments, arguing that a Local Health Unit cannot be prevented from hiring when professionals are available. This warning comes after the Nursing Association warned of the existence of approximately three thousand new nurses available for the labor market, while SNS units continued to report shortages.
On the financial side, the document points to total SNS expenditure of 19,714 million euros in 2028, an increase of 1,216 million from the 18,498 million in 2025, also forecasting a progressive reduction in debt: 891 million in 2026, 807 million in 2027, and 785 million in 2028. The order, signed by the Ministers of Finance and Health, takes effect from January 1, 2026.
