The exceptional situation of internal resident doctors (MIR) who finish their training this year has generated a debate about the tasks they can perform. Unlike previous years, the MIRs that started in 2020 will finish their training a few months later than usual, in September, since due to the pandemic they started later. This is a problem for the summer, since regions face lack of doctors.
The Minister of Health, Mónica García, clarified last Wednesday at the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS) that it was illegal for senior MIRs to work alone in Primary Care consultations, a solution considered by some regional governments to face the lack of doctors. However, Health has clarified in a letter that final year residents They will be able to undergo consultations alone as long as they have access to their tutor or to another specialist to resolve doubts.
The ministry refers to the regulations that regulate the Family and Community Medicine specialty program. “Residents have to be able during the fourth year of training to actively participate in all health center activities and to autonomously and completely take charge of a Family Medicine consultation without the presence of the tutor,” states the text, signed by the general director of Professional Regulation of the ministry, Celia Gómez.
“The supervision of the autonomous activities carried out by the resident in the consultation will take place (…) in the possibility that The resident can turn, in case of doubt or in complex situations, to his main guardian, to the support one or to other Family Doctors at the Health Center where you consult,” the letter says. This work in which the MIR are alone is recommended not to exceed two months.
As Health recalls, Law 44/2003, of November 21, on the organization of health professions (LOPS), and Royal Decree 183/2008, which develops it, establish the basic principles that govern specialized health training in Spain. These principles include the progressive assumption of responsibilities by residents and a decreasing level of supervision as they progress through their training.
The Ministry has highlighted the regulations on external rotations, which can be authorized by the CCAA as long as certain requirements are met, such as being proposed by the tutor and having the approval of the teaching commission of the destination center. Are rotations should preferably be carried out in accredited teaching centers and, in addition, the management of the center of origin must “expressly” commit to continuing to pay the resident their entire salaries.
Regarding residents’ salaries, the Ministry has clarified that the CCAA are responsible for establishing salary supplements, within the framework of the special residency employment relationship. Likewise, it is remembered that the The duration of the residency will be established in the training program of the specialty. and will be indicated in accordance with the provisions, where appropriate, of the community regulations.
Health insists that residents “have the duty and the right” to complete their training itinerary, and that the centers and those responsible must facilitate the fulfillment of the training itineraries of each resident, as well as their supervised integration in care, teaching activities. and researchers of the units.
The Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities will debate this Friday in the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS) the draft Royal Decree to regulate the advertising of health products and the Royal Decree that seeks to regularize the situation of those known as Mestos. (Specialist doctors without official title).
The first draft of the Royal Decree, which has already been submitted to a public hearing, proposes applying restrictions, if necessary, to advertising messages for health products made by health professionals, influencers or bloggers, with the aim of “protecting and promoting” the health of the patient and user.
The second draft Royal Decree aims to modify Royal Decree 1753/1998, of July 31, on exceptional access to the title of Medical Specialist in Family and Community Medicine and the practice of Family Medicine in the National Health System. It is intended that doctors who have practiced for more than five years in the public health system without obtaining the MIR are not discriminated against with respect to those who do have their qualification through the MIR.
The agenda has five additional points: highlighting point two, relating to the election of the Vice-Presidency of the CISNS at the request of the CCAA of the PP, and point three, on the appointment by the Plenary of the CISNS of the representative of the autonomous communities for the meetings of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Council (EPSCO) of the European Union.
