A major illegal payment scheme has come to light at one of Seville’s most renowned hospitals — Virgen del Rocío — that had been operating for more than two decades. The hospital administration has officially admitted that dozens of patient care coordinators and assistants received night shift bonuses, holiday pay, and other supplements, even though they did not actually work those hours. Nevertheless, there are no plans to recover the funds already paid out.
It all began with an internal complaint that alleged two coordinators had received over 100,000 euros in the past five years without working the corresponding shifts. An investigation revealed the practice was widespread among approximately 80 mid-level staff members. As a result, many were dismissed to halt the illegal payments, which, according to unions, had continued since 2004.
Scope of the problem
The exact budget loss has yet to be determined, as such payments were, according to employees, an unspoken norm not only in this hospital but also in others across the region. However, the Andalusian authorities are in no hurry to calculate the losses and have no plans to demand repayment. The regional health service has decided not to look back or launch procedures to reclaim the money.
Meanwhile, the anti-corruption agency has been conducting its own investigation for a month. Its task is to determine whether there are grounds to suspect embezzlement of public funds and whether the case should be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office. The hospital has stated that all coordinator positions will be eliminated by the end of the year, but the exact number of dismissed employees has not been disclosed.
Authorities’ response
Andalusia’s Health Minister Antonio Sanz acknowledged in parliament that the issue dates back to the early 2000s. According to him, coordinators received bonuses for shift work and on-call duties, although in reality they worked only during the day. This system emerged because of the need to manage large teams and complex schedules, but the selected coordinators continued to receive extra pay as if they were working nights and holidays.
At the end of November, the hospital’s director, Nieves Romero, notified coordinators that their appointments were being annulled. In the near future, staffing needs in each department will be reviewed, and new job postings for head nurses and block supervisors will be announced. This is part of a broader reform of the middle medical staff structure.
The unions’ position
Unions have called the situation outright fraud. Nieves Conejo, the CC OO representative at the hospital, stated that any money received illegally should be paid back, although she acknowledged that many of those dismissed are her colleagues. At the same time, she expressed regret over the situation.
This year, the hospital’s personnel expenses were cut by 7.15% compared to last year — that’s almost 25.3 million euros less than in 2024. Satse union representative Reyes Zabala noted that the coordinators were regular nurses who had been reassigned to administrative positions, and their low base salaries were supplemented with extra pay for night and holiday shifts. She called for all vacancies to be posted and for laid-off staff to be replaced to prevent overburdening those who remain.
Consequences and outlook
In the Andalusian healthcare system, the position of coordinator is officially provided only for certain divisions and primary care centers, but not for hospitals. In inpatient and clinic settings, the hierarchy begins with the position of head nurse. According to union representatives, the scandal has become a turning point for the entire system, but its full impact is still hard to gauge.
The complainants insist on the need to review time sheets, signatures, and all salary payments. Authorities have pledged to tighten oversight and introduce new internal audit mechanisms to prevent similar schemes in the future. However, the issue of recovering unlawfully received funds remains unresolved.
