Demands for transparency in healthcare spending
The Community of Madrid has taken a significant step by requesting the Ministry of Health to clarify the statement made by Minister Mónica García, who mentioned a transfer of €300 billion to the autonomous communities since the arrival of Pedro Sánchez's Government. This request was formalised through a letter sent by the Health Minister, Fátima Matute, following the recent Plenary of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System.
In her letter, dated May 25, 2025, Matute demands a detailed breakdown by item of the mentioned distribution, including details on the budget year, the concept, and the autonomous communities that benefited. The minister believes that this statement is of great significance and must be supported by verifiable official data.
Despite the government announcement, Matute argues that the available data points in the opposite direction to what García declared. According to her statements, the central government has reduced healthcare spending by €1.5 billion in just one year, based on figures provided by the Ministry of Finance between 2023 and 2024.
The letter also addresses the recent distribution of funds approved in the last Interterritorial Council for plans related to mental health and suicide prevention. In this context, Madrid received €5.8 million for mental health and €2.6 million for suicide prevention, which amounts to just €0.82 per Madrilenian for mental health and €0.38 for suicide prevention.
Seizing this opportunity, Matute also criticised the government's inaction in the face of the current medical strike affecting numerous healthcare professionals. In her letter, she requests technical and legal reports related to negotiations on a specific statute for doctors and healthcare professionals. This comes after García stated that such work had been discussed with several ministries.
The minister emphasises the urgent need to establish a specific medical statute that recognises their uniqueness, as well as a binding framework for all autonomous communities. Additionally, she has requested measures related to professional reclassification and the proper recognition of work shifts concerning pensions.
Although significant funding from the central government towards healthcare is mentioned, Matute argues that if those promised resources truly existed, a considerable part should be allocated directly to healthcare professionals, which could help alleviate many current problems within the healthcare system.
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