Hospital Sends One-Third of Staff Home

 

More than a third of the 3,835 workers at the Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona have been affected by a temporary labour force adjustment plan that means that they will be absent from work for 15 days, and up to 15 months in 63 cases.

The Hospital released a statement informing how the measure is projected to save 10 million euros until the end of 2012, but stressed that the adjustment plan was structured in such a way that any disruption for patients would be minimal.

However, the plan will mean the suspension of outpatient visits on Fridays, with the exception of oncology and hematology, a union representative at the Hospital noted.

The number of scheduled surgeries will be reduced by three per day, which by the end of the year will result in many more cases being added to waiting lists.

Thirty-six hospital beds will be removed, on top of another 40 that were recently lost. Over 60 employees will stay home for 15 months after the hospital decided to shut down an entire floor of the building. Resident physicians, emergency personnel and other special cases are not affected.