The Asaca union denounced this Thursday that the Ministry of Health has not sent them the Contingency Plan for the ATS/DUE opposition that will be held on the 31st throughout the Canary Islands. Asaca emphasizes that current legislation "forces" all temporary personnel in that category to take this exam in order to access the hiring lists, so they point out that "more than 80%" of the SCS nurses "will not be providing their services" that day. It will be done by approximately 20% of personnel with a permanent position and "graduates in 2015 without experience who did not arrive in time to register for the current opposition", they add.
Faced with this, the union points out that it has the right to know the Ministry of Health's plan that "guarantees compliance with the regulations and the continuity of care" for patients. As explained in a statement, a total of 29,000 people have registered for the selective test, which corresponds to the 2007 OPE and, they emphasize, arrives with "almost 9 years of delay". Of these, around 17,000 opponents work outside the Canary Islands and could travel from the peninsula; "a challenge never experienced in terms of organization and logistics by the Ministry of Health", they emphasize.
Asaca emphasizes that decree 74/2010 "links the selective test to the future nursing hiring lists that are generated after the exam", which means that "all temporary personnel" are "obliged" to take the exam. Temporary, occasional and substitute workers make up more than 80% of the SCS nursing staff, they emphasize. For this reason, it is "of crucial importance" for Asaca to know these Contingency Plans. They claim that they have requested it from the management of the health areas of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, but they have not been sent to them.
"Guarantee the continuity of care"
The union explains that it wants to know how the replacements have been organized, during the period before and on the day of the exam, to ensure that the regulations regarding "appointments", the "minimum services in number of nurses per services and units as stipulated by law" or "what number of experienced personnel will cover the units of great importance", such as the ICU, emergency rooms or operating rooms, are complied with.
They also intend to ensure that "nursing positions will not be covered by other professionals of a different category" and "guarantee that the continuity of care for SCS users is complied with both in the days prior to and on the day of the exam itself." They especially emphasize respecting the scheduling of chemotherapies and surgical interventions.
As the union explains in its statement, the Lanzarote Health area has limited itself to sending them a "summary" of this contingency plan, "but not the detailed and complete plan as requested;". Emphasizing their "right to know and demand" the plans in the face of this "exceptional" situation, Asaca asks that "the holding of an opposition should not alter the normal rhythm of healthcare for Canarians."
