With life expectancy among the highest in the European Union and health spending well below the average of 27 years, the Spanish health system faces challenges such as the imminent shortage of doctors because of a wave of retirements in a very aging working population, the OECD indicated this Thursday.
43% of doctors are over 55 years old, their geographical distribution is unequal and in certain specialties, such as family medicine, geriatrics, geriatrics, psychiatry or radiology, staff shortages, This is evident from the health profile of Spain published by the organization as well as that of other EU members.
However, the number of doctorsdoctors and nurses, grew up in recent years, to stand at 4.4 per thousand inhabitants, a tenth above the EU average, with 22% family doctors, compared to 19% of the 27.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has also admitted that the number of medical students has increased in recent years “to meet the needs of replacement and growing demand”, thanks to drop in grade entry into these careers.
The report draws a country with one of higher life expectancy of the EU, 84 years, 2.3 above average and exceeded only by Italy and Sweden, although he emphasizes that “although “Women live longer than men.” Their healthy life expectancy at age 65 is lower, because after this age, the proportion of women with chronic illnesses and disabilities is higher.
Spain has implemented policies and strategies aimed at reduce avoidable mortality, such as campaigns against road accidents, the tax on sugary drinks or the labeling of healthy foods, as well as health policies aimed at reducing risk factors.
Among the latter, the OECD highlights the strategy of cardiovascular health launched in 2022 which promotes healthy lifestyles to prevent obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking or poor diet, in addition to promoting physical exercise, to which is added a strategy for the early detection and treatment of these diseases. Furthermore, according to the study, it was highlighted that the breast cancer screening rate is higher than the European average, as is the case for colorectal cancer because it is still low, 43% in 2023.
Spain allocated a fifth less than the European average to health expenses per capita in 2023, with a 9.2% of GDP devoted to this aspect, compared to 10% in the EU, even if patients’ spending on this aspect was 21%, compared to 16% on average, a difference which can be explained by the non-reimbursement of most of the dental care and for pharmaceutical products.
As for the public spending per capita has increased significantly over the pandemic before starting to decrease in 2022, but unlike other countries, where it continued to decrease, Spain raised it from 2023, placing it above what was projected before the Covid.
Another point highlighted by the report is that the number of hospital beds per capita is below average, 3 in Spain compared to 5.3 in the EU, and that the percentage of patients waiting more than three months for surgery “has increased significantly”. Moreover, andThe study shows that the pharmaceutical costs increased by 5% in 2022, but remains 7% below the EU average in terms of spending per person, which was 472 euros.
While he assures that the government actions implemented since 2000 to control prescriptions and review reimbursement rates have made it possible save 139 million euros Last year, he warned of excessive, above-average use of antibiotics after soaring after the pandemic.
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