The Emergency Department of the Hospital de Barbastro faces the summer with a staff of 19 doctors and the July, August and September shifts already organized. The reorganization of the service and the reinforcement of the team have allowed us to face the summer period with a stability that contrasts with the situation experienced during the last months.
The head of the Emergency Unit, Dr. Iván Quito Ramos, explained that the team is going through a positive moment both for the work environment and for the evolution of the service. For the first time in a long time, the staff has about twenty doctors and has the on-call calendars closed in advance, a planning that facilitates the operation of the service during the summer.
The head of the unit recalled that the hospital has gone through a complex stage, marked by the departure of professionals to larger centers and by the increase in demand for care. «Since last April, work has intensified to reverse this situation, with the support of the Hospital and Primary Care directorates and the Management, with the aim of stabilizing the workforce,» says Dr. Quito.
Within this process, the Aragonese Health Service has announced an offer of eight places for doctors for the Emergency Department in Barbastro, to which five professionals have applied. The rest of the additions have been made by recruiting doctors from neighbouring autonomous communities and doctors who are finishing their specialised health training. Thanks to these measures, Dr. Quito stressed that the service is currently experiencing a moment of recovery. «We are in a stage of consolidation that allows us to be optimistic about the future,» he stresses.
THE TEAM GAINS STABILITY TO FACE THE SUMMER
Likewise, the head of service has valued the role of the entire Emergency team. «There is very good coordination between the medical team and the nursing staff and orderlies, which translates into a more efficient operation,» he said. «Staff at all levels have very good training and great involvement, which contributes decisively to the quality of care,» he adds.
The director of the Barbastro Hospital, Elena Castellar, stressed that «the priority of the management team with the support of management and, of course, with the head of the Emergency Unit, is always to complete the staff of the Hospital as far as possible». «We have been working on it for a long time,» he explains, «and now we are very happy because we are starting to see the fruits. In the Emergency Department, for example, such an important service that is the gateway to the hospital, we have managed to consolidate a team of 19 doctors.»
The current coverage of the service allows for a greater capacity to respond to any incident that may arise in the workforce, such as sick leave, transfers or other work circumstances, something that can occur in any work environment. In addition, the incorporation of two new doctors is planned at the end of the summer, which will contribute to further strengthening the care capacity and coverage of the service.
DEMAND IN A&E CONTINUES TO INCREASE
At the same time, the hospital registers a sustained increase in the demand for care in the Emergency Department. During 2025, the Emergency Department of this hospital has attended 30,000 emergencies and until last June there had already been more than 18,000, confirming the upward dynamics of demand.
«This is a widespread trend, regardless of the day of the week or the time of year, which makes it necessary to have well-sized, coordinated and highly prepared teams,» concludes Dr. Quito.
