Spanish medical unions have formally registered an indefinite strike affecting doctors and medical specialists across Spain, with the stoppage scheduled to begin at 00:00 on October 28, 2026.

The Confederación Estatal de Sindicatos Médicos (CESM) submitted the official strike notice on September 28, following the decision of the strike committee to proceed with an indefinite stoppage. The Sindicato Médico de Euskadi (SME) and Sindicato Médico Andaluz (SMA) are also part of the strike committee.

The action is connected to the ongoing dispute over the reform of Spain's Estatuto Marco, the legislation governing the employment framework for statutory healthcare staff within the National Health System.

Strike to Begin on October 28

The strike is scheduled to start at midnight on October 28 and will continue indefinitely until it is formally called off.

CESM said the decision followed what it describes as a lack of progress in negotiations with the Ministry of Health. The unions maintain that the strike can still be avoided if negotiations resume and an agreement is reached.

The official call covers doctors and medical specialists working within Spain's National Health System. According to the unions, this includes resident doctors and professionals working in concerted centres, consortiums, public companies and other management arrangements linked to the public healthcare system.

Dispute Over the Estatuto Marco

At the centre of the dispute is the government's proposed reform of the Estatuto Marco del personal estatutario de los servicios de salud.

The government formally presented the bill to Congress on September 7. The Congress of Deputies subsequently assigned the legislation to its Health Commission, where it is currently in the amendment stage. The deadline for amendments is October 6, 2026.

The proposed legislation would replace the current framework, which dates from 2003, and establish the basic employment rules for statutory staff within Spain's National Health System.

Medical unions argue that the current proposal does not adequately address the specific working conditions, responsibilities and training requirements of doctors and medical specialists. They are calling for a direct negotiation that would provide a specific professional framework for doctors and facultative specialists.

Among the issues previously raised by the medical unions are working hours, the organisation and compensation of on-call duties, professional classification and retirement arrangements.

What It Could Mean for Ibiza

The planned stoppage is a national strike rather than an Ibiza-specific action. Doctors and medical specialists working within the public healthcare system in the Balearic Islands are therefore included in the national call.

The Balearic medical union SIMEBAL had already confirmed its participation in the indefinite national strike, with October 28 previously announced as the starting date.

However, the precise impact on hospitals, health centres, appointments and other services in Ibiza and Formentera will depend on the services and minimum-service arrangements established for the strike.

At the time of this report, the official registration of the strike does not mean that all scheduled medical appointments in Ibiza have automatically been cancelled.

Negotiations Could Still Prevent the Strike

CESM and the other participating unions have stressed that there is still an opportunity to avoid the stoppage if the Ministry of Health resumes negotiations.

The Ministry, for its part, has previously said that the Estatuto Marco reform is intended to update the legal framework governing healthcare professionals and has highlighted measures concerning working conditions, professional classification, rest periods and other employment rights.

The proposed law is currently being considered by Congress, meaning the legislative process remains underway as the October 28 strike date approaches.

For now, the confirmed position is that an indefinite national doctors' strike has been formally registered to begin at 00:00 on October 28, 2026, but the unions continue to leave open the possibility of calling it off if an agreement is reached.

Accuracy note: The October 28 date and indefinite nature of the strike are confirmed by CESM and the official registration reported on September 28. The action is national, not specific to Ibiza. The Estatuto Marco remains under parliamentary consideration, with amendments currently due by October 6. The exact effect on individual healthcare services in Ibiza and Formentera should not be stated until local minimum-service arrangements and hospital/health-centre information are confirmed.