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Health

Catalonia faces a new challenge in its health budget: is a 4% increase enough?

The new health budget for Catalonia raises questions about its real capacity to tackle structural challenges and improve healthcare.

Marta Sanz
Marta Sanz
· 2 min read
Catalonia faces a new challenge in its health budget: is a 4% increase enough?
Catalonia faces a new challenge in its health budget: is a 4% increase enough?

A budget that does not meet expectations

The Department of Health of the Generalitat of Catalonia has presented its budget for the year 2026, which amounts to €13.501,8 million. However, it is estimated that the actual expenditure will reach €17.250,1 million, representing an increase of 21.7% compared to what was initially planned. This recurring phenomenon has led to what is known as the chronic deficit of Catalan healthcare.

As a result of negotiations between the PSC and ERC, €250 million has been allocated to reduce the gap between the budgeted and the actual expenditure. This has allowed for a decrease in the projected deficit from €3.748,3 million to €3.498,3 million. This measure is one of the main innovations in the Government's accounting project regarding health.

Despite the increase in absolute terms, some critics believe that this rise is insufficient to address the structural problems of the Catalan healthcare system. The spokesperson for Junts, Jordi Fàbrega, has described this adjustment as mere “maintenance spending” and not a transformative policy.

Healthcare spending per capita will also see a significant increase: it is expected to reach €1.663, which represents an increase of €161 compared to the previous year. The majority of the budget is allocated to specialised care, with more than €8.651 million, while primary care will receive €3.813 million.

Despite the declared commitment by Albert Dalmau to attend to patients within a maximum period of 48 hours, waiting lists remain one of the major challenges of the Catalan healthcare system. Although this situation has been stabilised over the past two years, many citizens continue to wait months to receive adequate medical care.

Dalmau also emphasised that these accounts are part of a broader process of health planning for the next 50 years in Catalonia. As the parliamentary processing of the budget progresses, it remains to be seen whether these measures will be sufficient to meet the growing demands and healthcare needs of the Catalan population.

Marta Sanz

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Marta Sanz

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