The SES removes the required experience for Palliative Care positions

The Management Directorate of the Extremeño Health Service (SES) has resolved to modify the functional structure of the specialized positions for Palliative Care, Pediatric Palliative Care, and Pain Units, removing the experience requirement that was previously required to access them. The decision is published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE) number 196, dated October 9, 2026, through the Resolution of September 28, 2026, of the Management Directorate (reference 2026062525). The regulation enters into force on the day of its publication in the gazette.

Background of a reorganized workforce

The functional structure of the statutory personnel workforce of the autonomous body was approved by the Resolution of the Management Directorate of February 2, 2010 (DOE no. 39, of February 26), in accordance with the provisions of Decree 37/2006, of February 21, which established the organization instruments for the body’s personnel. The new resolution is issued under article 4, paragraph 1), of the Statutes of the Extremeño Health Service, approved by Decree 221/2008, of October 24 (DOE no. 210, of October 30).

The text justifies the measure within a context of optimizing available resources and the current needs of the organization. According to the Management Directorate itself, there are difficulties in the temporary coverage of positions assigned to Palliative Care and Pediatric Palliative Care Teams, as well as Pain Units, in the categories of Doctors and Nurses, due to the experience requirement that potential candidates sometimes do not meet.

The six affected functions

The modification affects six functions of the specialized positions of the statutory personnel of the Health Areas, in which the experience requirement is removed:

• Palliative Care Doctor: the requirement of two years of experience in palliative care in the service of the Public Administration is eliminated.
• Pediatric Palliative Care Doctor: the requirement of two years in specific advanced resources in pediatric palliative care in the Public Administration is removed.
• Pain Unit Doctor: the requirement of two years in Pain Units in the service of the Public Administration disappears.
• Palliative Care Nurse: the requirement of one year of experience in palliative care in the Public Administration is withdrawn.
• Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse: the year of experience in specific advanced resources in pediatric palliative care is eliminated.
• Pain Unit Nurse: the year of experience in specific advanced resources in pediatric palliative care in the service of the Public Administration is removed.

Nursing specialties and pediatric merit

Along with the removal of the experience requirement, the resolution adapts the categories that may access these positions. Specifically, it adds the nursing specialties corresponding to each to the singularized positions for Nurses of Palliative Care Teams and Pediatric Palliative Care, as well as Pain Units.

Additionally, the merit of experience in specific advanced pediatric palliative care resources serving the Public Administration is incorporated into the functions of Pediatric Palliative Care Physician and Pediatric Palliative Care Nurses. With this, the SES seeks to adapt the organizational instrument to current needs and homogenize it with the other mentioned positions.

Validity and content of the annex

The first section of the resolution modifies the characteristics appearing in the annex, which details for each position the designation, classification group, level, category or specialty requirements, qualification, experience, and merits. Medical positions are categorized in group A/A1, level 27, while nursing positions appear in group B/A2, level 24.

The second section sets the entry into force on the same day of publication in the Official Gazette of Extremadura. The document was signed in Mérida on September 28, 2026, by the Managing Director, Encarnación Solís Pérez.

The reorganization responds to a personnel management problem with a direct effect on care: by eliminating the previous experience filter, the SES expands the number of professionals who can apply to temporarily fill palliative care, pediatric palliative care, and pain treatment positions in the Health Areas. The measure affects both physicians and nurses and is applied immediately from the publication of the bulletin.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, no. 196, of October 9, 2026, Section I, Extremadura Health Service (official reference: 2026062525).