Health Ministry sets minimum services for the general strike on November 11

Extremadura’s healthcare system will operate on November 11 with a minimum services scheme that protects emergencies, oncological treatments, and dialysis during the general strike called nationwide. This is established by the Regional Ministry of Health and Dependency Care through two orders signed on November 6 by Minister Sara García Espada and published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE) no. 215, dated November 9, 2026. The first (2026050128) regulates the minimums for the own staff of the Extremadura Health Service (SES) and the second (2026050129) those of external companies linked to healthcare assistance.

The call is of national scope and was communicated by UGT, CCOO, CNT, COBAS, Solidaridad Obrera, CGT, Confederación Intersindical, OSAD, and the ASC union. The strike extends from 00:00 to 24:00 hours on November 11, with specific rules for centers organized by shifts: shifts that begin before midnight and those that, starting on that day, conclude on the 12th are also covered. The demands of the organizers refer to access to decent housing and the increase of the purchasing power of wages, to which some organizations add the defense of public services, the increase of pensions, or the reduction of the working day.

Both orders are based on the report from the Management Directorate of the SES dated November 4, 2026, and on article 10, second paragraph, of Royal Decree-Law 17/1977, of March 4, on labor relations. The minimums were communicated on November 5 to UGT and CCOO, the organizations with representation on the healthcare sectoral table, which gave their approval. The orders entered into force on the day of their signing, and the same minimums will apply to future strike days with the same objective and organizer.

Emergencies at one hundred percent and wards with holiday staffing

• All personnel from the hospital Emergency Service and the Primary Care Emergency and Urgency Services are considered minimum services.
• Hospitalization wards, the Blood Bank, and consultations and treatments are covered with staffing equivalent to a Sunday or holiday.
• Discharges and admissions generated in urgent care are covered at one hundred percent to avoid the collapse of emergency services.
• Health centers with a Continuous Care Point (PAC) operate as a holiday; those without a PAC will have one doctor and one nurse exclusively for urgent care.
• Each slaughterhouse will have one veterinarian and each management office will have one person for personnel and payroll, one for the general registry, one supply and warehouse staff member per center and shift, and two systems staff members in the morning shift plus one on call in the afternoon and night.

Oncology, dialysis, and transfers without room for delay

Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Hemodialysis, the oncohematological Day Hospital, and non-deferrable rehabilitation maintain the necessary staff to guarantee their services. In sanitary transport, 100% of the essential SES healthcare personnel are established for the transfer of patients in oncological or dialysis treatment, as well as for interhospital transport in medicalized units for serious or critical patients.

Air ambulances, respiratory therapies, and contracted dialysis

• AVINCIS AVIATION must maintain 100% of the personnel necessary to operate the two sanitary helicopters, based in Malpartida de Cáceres and Don Benito, including aircraft maintenance.
• Fresenius Medical Care Extremadura will staff its seven dialysis clinics—Cáceres, Coria, Navalmoral de la Mata, Plasencia, Badajoz, Mérida, and Villanueva de la Serena—with one nurse for every five patients and one nursing assistant (TCAE) for every ten, in addition to one nephrologist per shift.
• AIR LIQUIDE HEALTHCARE España will maintain 100% of the 24-hour on-call staff and its operations managers, 70% of technicians and healthcare personnel for home respiratory therapies, and 50% for warehouse and administration.

Cleaning, meals, and systems with fixed percentages

• ASPEL: cleaning and disinfection at 100% in critical areas (emergency, ICU, surgical area, delivery rooms, oncology, dialysis), 75% in protected areas such as hospitalization and sterilization, and 50% in the remainder.
• Social catering: 100% of meals for admitted patients, including therapeutic and modified-texture diets, with holiday staffing.
• CLECE FS will cover breakdowns at the Hospital Universitario de Badajoz (one electrician, one mechanic, one plumber, and one heating technician per shift), the Hospital Perpetuo Socorro, its laundry, and the network of health centers in the Badajoz area with one operator per shift.
• AYESA IBERMÁTICA will assign 58 professionals to CDATEX: 15 in user support, 18 in on-site support, 14 in systems, 4 in interoperability, 4 in development, and 3 in management.
• FENIN sets clinical support technicians at 100%, contact center and remote care at 70%, and warehouse and workshops at 50%; AMI, 100% of comprehensive and energy maintenance.

Area managements must nominally designate the personnel within the established limits and notify them before the start of the service, with publication on notice boards, without these designations being used to maintain deferrable ordinary activity. Appeals against these orders may be filed via a motion for reconsideration within one month or through contentious-administrative proceedings within two months.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, no. 215, November 9, 2026, section I (official reference: 2026050128 and 2026050129).