Patients across Andalucía are increasingly worried about delays and cancellations to medical appointments as doctors’ strike action continues. The situation comes as doctors across the region enter a fifth week of strike action, with unions claiming that an average of 60,000 appointments, diagnostic tests and surgical procedures are being cancelled every day leaving many residents worried about how much longer they may have to wait for treatment

According to medical unions, more than 1.3 million healthcare procedures have already been affected since the strikes began, leaving many patients facing further delays in the coming weeks. While emergency departments remain open and urgent treatment continues, the industrial action is having a noticeable impact on non-urgent healthcare services across the region.

Which appointments are most likely to be affected?

Not every patient will see their appointment cancelled, but disruption is being felt across hospitals and health centres throughout Andalucía. Routine specialist consultations, outpatient appointments, diagnostic tests such as scans, and non-emergency surgical procedures are among the services most affected. Patients already on waiting lists for referrals are also experiencing longer delays as hospitals attempt to manage an increasing backlog.

Health authorities continue to advise patients to attend appointments as normal unless they receive official notification of cancellation or rescheduling. However, with thousands of procedures reportedly being postponed each week, many patients are repeatedly checking with hospitals for confirmation, adding to the sense of uncertainty. For those already waiting months for treatment, the added disruption is proving particularly difficult.

Why doctors in Andalucía are on strike

The strike centres on opposition to proposed changes under Spain’s new healthcare employment framework, known as the Estatuto Marco, a national law that sets out the working conditions, rights, contracts and obligations of medical staff in the public healthcare system.

Medical organisations argue the reforms fail to address long-standing concerns over excessive workloads, long working hours and staffing shortages within the public healthcare system. Unions representing doctors say these pressures are already affecting retention and recruitment, particularly in overstretched hospitals.

Around 30,000 doctors across Andalucía have been called to take part in the industrial action, making this one of the largest healthcare disputes in recent years. Doctors insist the issue is not only about working conditions but also about safeguarding patient care. They warn that continued strain on staff could further damage the quality and accessibility of services.

Patients caught in the middle as delays grow

For many patients, the strike is no longer an abstract labour dispute but a very real disruption to their health and daily life. Antonio Baena, president of Córdoba’s Platform for the Defence of Public Healthcare, says patients are effectively paying the price for the ongoing deadlock between unions and health authorities.

Among those affected is Carol, a resident of Granada, who had been waiting more than nine months for back surgery before being told her operation had been cancelled just one day before it was due to take place. She says the injury dates back several years following a horse-riding accident, leading to years of appointments, medication and specialist care before finally reaching the point of surgery.

“I have been in pain for years with a back injury that I suffered during a riding accident. It’s taken years of appointments, check-ups and medication, plus nine months waiting for surgery, only for it to be cancelled at the last moment,” she said.

“I’m beyond furious. You build everything around that surgery date, mentally and physically, and then it’s taken away with almost no notice.”

Her case reflects a growing number of patients facing last-minute cancellations after long waiting periods.

Mary who is living in Sotogrande, is another patient affected by delays in Andalucía’s public healthcare system, says she has been waiting more than two years for an appointment with a traumatologist. Unable to take standard painkillers due to an underlying health condition, she says she has been left managing her symptoms without specialist care.

“I’ve been waiting just over two years for an appointment with the traumatologist,” she said. “I can’t take painkillers because of a health condition, so I manage the pain as best I can, it’s exhausting. Every six months I’ve been calling to ask when I might finally be seen.” However, she says she recently discovered her appointment had been cancelled without notice.

“I found out the doctor had cancelled my appointment and nobody had even let me know. I still have no idea when I’ll be seen. Are the doctors actually aware of what they are doing to patients like myself?”

These are just two of many patients across Andalucía left in pain, in limbo, and facing the uncertainty of not knowing when their next appointment, test or treatment will actually come.

What is being done to reduce delays and protect patients?

Health authorities in Andalucía say steps are being taken to limit disruption and ensure that urgent and priority cases continue to be treated during the strike. Hospitals are operating with minimum service levels, meaning emergency departments, intensive care, cancer treatment and other life-saving procedures remain active even during strike days.

For non-urgent care, cancelled appointments are being re-entered into the system for rescheduling based on clinical priority, with patients expected to be offered new dates once capacity allows. However, officials acknowledge that the high volume of cancellations is making it difficult to clear backlogs quickly.

Some hospitals are also attempting to ease pressure by reorganising schedules and extending clinic activity where possible to recover postponed consultations and operations. Despite this, health sources admit that the scale of disruption is continuing to challenge the system. Patients are being advised to attend appointments as normal unless they are directly informed otherwise, as many services continue to operate despite the strike.

Could the strike continue into the summer?

For patients hoping for a quick resolution, there is still no clear end in sight. Medical unions have warned that if negotiations over the Estatuto Marco fail, an indefinite strike could begin from September, potentially extending disruption well beyond the summer months.

For now, health authorities continue to advise patients to attend appointments unless they are told otherwise, while hospitals attempt to manage growing demand and an expanding backlog of postponed care. But with more than a million healthcare procedures already affected and around 60,000 cancellations occurring every day of strike action, many people across Andalucía remain uncertain about when they will finally receive the treatment they have been waiting for.

The longest day of the year arrives this Sunday as astronomical summer officially begins in Spain at 9.24am. But this year’s season is about far more than late sunsets and beach weather. A solar eclipse visible from parts of Spain, the return of the Perseid meteor shower and three full moons are all set to light up the skies over the coming months.

For many people, summer starts when the schools close, the suitcases come out and the first trip to the beach appears on the calendar.

Astronomically speaking, it starts on Sunday morning. At exactly 9.24am Spanish mainland time on June 21, the summer solstice will take place, marking the official start of the season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Most of us won’t notice the precise moment it happens. What we will notice is the amount of daylight.

Sunday brings the longest day of the year, the point when the Sun spends more time above the horizon than on any other date on the calendar.

In Madrid, there will be just over 15 hours of daylight. Compare that with the depths of winter, when daylight drops below ten hours, and it becomes easy to understand why summer evenings in Spain seem to last forever.

The season itself will continue until September 23, giving Spain more than three months of late sunsets, warm nights and plenty of opportunities to spend time outdoors.

And if you enjoy looking at the sky, this summer has a little more to offer than usual.

A solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Spain

The event attracting the most attention is undoubtedly the solar eclipse scheduled for August 12. Eclipses always generate excitement because they remain one of the few astronomical events that people actively plan to watch.

On that afternoon, the Moon will pass between Earth and the Sun.

The path of totality will cross parts of Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic and the North Atlantic.

Spain won’t experience a total eclipse, but parts of the country are expected to see the phenomenon shortly before sunset.

For many people, it may be the first solar eclipse they have ever witnessed.

Astronomers are already encouraging skywatchers to prepare well in advance and to use proper eye protection when observing the Sun.

The timing is likely to make the event even more attractive, with the eclipse occurring as the Sun sits low in the sky.

The Perseids are back

If eclipses require planning, meteor showers are often much simpler.

Find a dark spot, look up and wait. That is largely why the Perseids remain one of the most popular astronomical events every year.

Around August 13, the meteor shower is expected to reach its peak. Under favourable conditions, observers may see dozens of shooting stars each hour.

For many families holidaying in rural Spain, the Perseids have become a summer tradition.

People head to beaches, mountains or countryside viewpoints after dark and simply watch the sky.

The Delta Aquariids will arrive first, reaching peak activity around July 31.

They may not receive the same attention as the Perseids, but they can still produce impressive displays for those lucky enough to be away from city lights.

Three full moons and some of the clearest skies of the year

Summer also happens to be one of the easiest times of year to enjoy stargazing.

Warm nights encourage people to stay outdoors longer and holidaymakers often find themselves far away from the bright lights of large cities.

This year will feature full moons on June 29, July 29 and August 28.

Meanwhile, keen observers will be able to spot some of the best known sights in the night sky.

The Summer Triangle, formed by the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair, will dominate many evenings.

The constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius will also be visible, pointing roughly towards the centre of our galaxy.

In locations with very little light pollution, the Milky Way can often be seen stretching across the sky as a pale band of light.

There is also an interesting astronomical curiosity arriving on July 6. That is when Earth reaches aphelion, the point in its orbit furthest from the Sun.

At that moment, our planet will be more than 152 million kilometres away from it.

The fact often surprises people because it happens during summer rather than winter. The seasons are controlled by the tilt of Earth’s axis, not how close we are to the Sun.

For most people, however, the science is probably not the main attraction.

What matters is that the season beginning this weekend comes with longer days, warmer nights and a sky that will have plenty to offer for anyone willing to take a moment to look up.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has, for the first time, suggested he could bring forward a general election if his government fails to secure parliamentary approval for the 2027 State Budget. The comments come after months of insisting that the legislature would run until 2027 regardless of whether a Budget was approved.

Speaking in Brussels on June 18, Sánchez linked the future of the legislature to the success of the 2027 budget process, although he stressed that any election would still take place in 2027 rather than this year.

A change from Sánchez’s previous position

For months, Sánchez had maintained that the government would continue governing even if it failed to secure parliamentary backing for a budget.

Spain is currently operating under extended budgets after the government was unable to approve new spending plans in recent years. Under Spanish law, existing budgets can remain in force if a replacement fails to pass Parliament, allowing the government to continue functioning without immediately triggering an election.

Until now, Sánchez had argued that extending existing budgets was a viable option and did not justify dissolving Parliament. His latest remarks suggest that position may be changing if support for the 2027 accounts cannot be secured.

Why the Budget matters

Passing a State Budget is one of the most important tests for any government because it determines public spending priorities, taxation plans and investment commitments.

For Sánchez, securing approval is difficult because his minority government depends on support from a range of regional and smaller political parties to pass legislation. Negotiations often require agreements between groups with differing political priorities, making budget votes especially challenging.

The government recently announced that work on the 2027 General State Budget is beginning, with Sánchez publicly committing to presenting new accounts to Parliament. Approval remains uncertain given the fragmented political landscape in Madrid.

Could Spain really face an early election?

At this stage, no election has been called and Sánchez has not confirmed that one will happen.

Instead, he has indicated that the outcome of the budget process could influence future decisions. If Parliament rejects the government’s spending plans and negotiations fail to produce an alternative agreement, pressure could grow on the Prime Minister to seek a fresh mandate from voters.

Spain has seen a similar situation before. In 2019, Sánchez called an early general election after his government’s budget was voted down in Parliament, arguing that voters should decide the country’s political direction.

While the Prime Minister stopped short of announcing any concrete plans, he has now publicly acknowledged a scenario that he had previously dismissed.

What it means for Spain

Any move towards an early election would shift Spain into a pre-election period, with political parties focusing on campaigning and negotiations rather than new legislative activity.

However, uncertainty over the Budget could affect decisions on public spending, infrastructure projects, taxation and investment programmes. Businesses, local authorities and public services often rely on clarity over government spending plans when preparing for future years.

For foreign residents and British expats living in Spain, any election campaign would likely bring renewed debate around housing, healthcare, taxation, tourism and regional investment.

What happens next?

The government’s next challenge will be securing enough parliamentary support to pass the 2027 Budget.

Negotiations are expected to continue over the coming months as Sánchez seeks backing from the parties needed to secure a majority. If the Budget is approved, the government is likely to continue towards the scheduled end of the legislature in 2027.

If it fails, the possibility of an early election is now on the table for the first time since the current legislature began.