Several topics were discussed. With regard to Hospital Clínic, he highlighted its idiosyncratic nature due to the weight of the medical sector in its management, the high level of professional competitiveness and the prior commitment of the professionals who come to the hospital to devote themselves to both care and research (the “Clínic brand”, as Dr. Belenes called it). He also referred to the biggest problem facing the center today - the lack of space that is an obstacle to its growth.
With regard to the current state of health care, Dr. Belenes talked about primary care and the need for modernization and the increased capacity for decision making and self-management necessary to improve hospital care response times. He discussed the situation of improving emergency services in Catalonia over the past 3 years, with a reduction in attendance of 4%-5% each year with respect to the previous year, partly due to the citizen awareness campaigns and the existence of alternative resources. He spoke of the causes of the current lack of availability of professional (both doctors, due to the imbalance of supply and demand, and nurses, due to nurses leaving the profession particularly due to problems of compatibility with family life). He discussed the current situation of waiting lists, which has improved in terms of application of clinical criteria and resolution times, but which still require action in order to increase clinical safety. He covered prescribing by nurses, divesting it of some of the drama with which it has been handled in different areas, and he talked about the problems of financial sustainability affecting the health care system and existing alternative formulas, such as limiting the range of services and improved management, an are where Dr. Belenes believes there is still much to be done.
Photograph: Miguel Angel Escobar - Sanitaria 2000
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