Andalusian clinics are facing a severe staffing crisis: radiologists are forced to work double shifts to prevent disruption of the program for further examinations of women whose mammography results were inconclusive. Regional authorities have imposed a strict deadline — all patients must undergo additional diagnostics by the end of November to rule out or confirm the presence of tumors.
The situation is particularly difficult at the Virgen del Rocío hospital in Seville, which handles the vast majority of disputed cases. Out of five open radiologist positions, only one has been filled. As a result, doctors in the women’s health department are working not only mornings, but also evenings and holidays. Shifts stretch until eight in the evening, and breaks between them barely reach 12 hours. This has led to growing dissatisfaction among staff, who have already been working at their limit for a long time.
The emergency plan calls for hiring additional specialists — a total of 119 people, including 65 radiologists. However, finding the necessary professionals has proven nearly impossible, as there is a shortage of personnel across the country. Authorities admit that even with new hires, meeting all requirements will be extremely challenging.
As a temporary measure, financial incentives are being offered to those who agree to work overtime and combine shifts. However, unions insist on a comprehensive review of the entire system and permanent changes to prevent similar situations in the future. At the same time, the expansion of the screening program has overloaded schedules: doctors are unable to conduct additional examinations without disrupting work in other departments. This has already affected other areas as well—for example, colorectal and cervical cancer prevention.
Regional authorities promise that some of the new contracts will become permanent and that the reform will affect not only staffing policy, but also the organization of work and information systems. However, it remains unclear what exactly caused the disruption in screening: officials refer to shortcomings in protocols that did not require women with inconclusive results to be informed. Meanwhile, most disputed cases are still concentrated in one hospital in Sevilla, and there is still no explanation for this.
Experts note that expanding screening coverage has overloaded the system, and without structural changes, further disruptions cannot be avoided. Authorities pledge to strengthen preventive programs, improve coordination, and implement advanced information solutions to increase diagnostic efficiency and reduce staff workload.
