The Ombudsman of Spain, Soledad Becerril, presented the Joint Committee for Relations with the Office of the Ombudsman with the case study “Las urgencias hospitalarias en el Sistema Nacional de Salud: derechos y garantías de los pacientes” (Hospital emergency services in the National Health System: patients’ rights and guarantees) which examines the reality of the emergency services and the impact of how they function on people’s fundamental rights.
The report, which was drawn up together with the autonomous regional ombudsman offices, contains 40 conclusions. It takes a positive view of measures for enlarging or renovating hospital emergency-service facilities, but considers that changes need to be made to the organisation and running of the services.
It indicates that a saturation of emergency services may be detrimental to patients’ dignity and proposes that the people in charge of emergency services be taken into account in decision-making on the availability of resources, hospital beds and staff.
It also points out that coordination between emergency services and outpatient services is essential so that patients make proper use of the emergency services while guaranteeing that the chronically ill, the elderly and people in a situation of social exclusion receive proper care.
It also notes that, in many places, the continuity of medical care for immigrants with irregular status is not guaranteed and gives a reminder that these patients not only qualify for emergency services but also for medical care.
