SESPA appoints María Paz Menéndez as Head of Restoration for Area III-East

The Health Service of the Principality of Asturias (SESPA) has awarded María Paz Menéndez García the position of non-healthcare Section Head of Catering and Food Safety of the Health Area III-Oriente. The decision was signed by the Management of Health Area III-Oriente via a resolution dated September 18, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) number 191, dated October 2, 2026. The appointment is resolved through the provision procedure for middle management, and the awardee must take office the day following the publication.

The resolution concludes the process convened by the Resolution of July 23, 2026, from the Management of Health Area III-Oriente, published in BOPA number 147, dated July 31, 2026, which was subject to an error rectification via Resolution of August 18, 2026 (BOPA number 163, dated August 24, 2026). The convened position was a single position of non-healthcare Section Head of Catering and Food Safety within the Hospitality, Security, and General Services Department.

The procedure is supported by Decree 87/2014, of October 8, which regulates the provision systems for singularized job positions and middle management within the scope of SESPA, and Decree 49/2019, of June 21, the first modification of the former. The authority to resolve corresponds to the Management of Area III-Oriente by delegation of the Managing Director of SESPA, according to the Resolution of August 3, 2012 (BOPA of December 9, 2014).

A two-phase provision process

The process consisted of two phases and concluded with the proposal of the Evaluation Commission, in accordance with articles nine and ten of Decree 87/2014 and bases eight to ten of the call. The resolution was issued in Gijón, on September 18, 2026, signed by the Manager of Health Area III-Oriente by delegation of the Managing Director of SESPA.

The awarded position is that of non-healthcare Section Head of Catering and Food Safety in the Hospitality, Security, and General Services Department of Health Area III-Oriente, a middle management position with a non-healthcare profile within the Asturian public health system.

Taking office and periodic evaluation

The resolution establishes the conditions of the appointment:

• The designated candidate must take office the day following the publication of the resolution in the BOPA.
• The awardee must pass the evaluation that will be carried out at the end of each five-year period of effective performance in the position.
• Continuity may be agreed upon for similar periods provided that the evaluations carried out in accordance with articles 11 and 12 of Decree 87/2014 are passed.
• The awardee may be dismissed for any of the causes established in article 13 of the same decree.

Administrative Appeal before the Minister of Health

Against this resolution, which does not exhaust administrative remedies, an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Minister of Health within one month starting from the day following its publication. This text is based on Article 134 of the Principality of Asturias Law 7/2019, of March 29, on Health, in relation to Article 27 of Law 2/1995, of March 13, on the Legal Regime of the Administration of the Principality of Asturias, and Articles 121 et seq. of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations.

The appointment strengthens the middle management structure of Health Area III-East, which covers public healthcare in eastern Asturias, and places in charge of hospital catering and food safety a manager whose performance will be evaluated every five years. The position is filled via a competitive process among personnel of the health service itself, although the resolution does not detail the number of applicants.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA), no. 191 of October 2, 2026, section I. Principality of Asturias — Authorities and Personnel, page 1 (official reference: 2026-07833).