Costa del Sol’s 24-Hour Emergency Unit is at breaking point due to summer demand

Doctors have issued an important warning, as the peak summer demand is pushing Mijas’ and Fuengirola’s 24-hour emergency facilities to dangerous limits.

Health system under strain

Doctors warn that the service has been pushed beyond its limits. Patients in Mijas and Fuengirola face waiting times of up to six hours. Malaga Medical Union’s (SMM) alarming report on a system in which a single doctor is often left to cover dozens of patients simultaneously paints an extremely worrying picture.

Las Lagunas Primary Care Emergency Service is the only 24-hour facility that serves a population of more than 180,000 people, which grows massively every summer. Union representatives blame chronic staffing shortages for the bottleneck. Staff struggled to cover day and night shifts that were not filled.

Almost 300 patients per day

The union shared figures that showed the unit treated roughly 300 patients per day, and on certain evenings in July, a new patient would walk through the door about every five minutes. On some evenings, more than 30 patients were left in a waiting room for an assessment, with only one doctor on site and one nurse while other colleagues made home visits.

Triage cannot be done for long periods of time. Unions warn that this could lead to adverse incidents if patients aren’t sorted by urgency.

Recruitment “failures” exposed

The union blames the crisis in part on a failed recruiting drive. Only six of the 105 Family Medicine positions offered in the district to newly qualified doctors were filled, while all 36 posts for support services tied to emergency units remained unfilled. These alarming statistics show how unattractive these roles have become. They also point out the urgent need to revamp pay, conditions and incentive programs for frontline staff.

Union demands urgent action plan

Now, there are calls for a plan of emergency reinforcement, a review of the medical and nursing staffing level, and incentives that will encourage workers to provide emergency care outside hospitals. A safety assessment urgent and immediate discussions with the health authorities were also demanded. Costa del Sol Health District has not yet responded.