Complaints about linguistic discrimination against doctors are on the way to a new record.

BarcelonaDespite theatrical gags about doctors For those who only speak and write medical reports in Catalan, the reality is very different: the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut) announced this Tuesday a sustained increase in complaints of linguistic discrimination in healthcare centers. While in 2024 they reached 358 per year, in 2025 they are already 179 until July alone; therefore, on the way to a new record year after year.

According to those responsible for CatSalut in the Parliament, almost half of the complaints in 2024 were due to a lack of oral care in Catalan, not receiving an administrative or informative response in this language (20%), or regarding clinical reports (8%).

Thousands of people do not complete their courses

Among the new proposals from the Health Department to reverse the situation is an awareness campaign for patients' linguistic rights and the creation of a multidisciplinary group to follow up on complaints. This is in addition to the Plan to Guarantee the Knowledge and Use of Catalan in the Public Health System, which already includes measures such as plans and linguistic references of each center, which 98% of service providers already have. They have also deployed specific language courses for healthcare professionals, welcome courses, language volunteering and workshops to train in good language practices.

However, one of the problems that theCat Report The Platform for Language is that only a third of healthcare workers who sign up for the Department of Health's Catalan language courses actually complete them, and less than 25% pass. From the initial 2,700 places offered, the number of places increased to 3,711, but by the time it was finally determined, 1,352 people had completed the course. The thousand participants who took the official tests (levels B and C1) passed.

The reasons for the current situation

The director general of CatSalut, Alfredo Garcia Díaz, detailed the reasons that have led to the current situation. On the one hand, the incorporation of professionals from outside: half of the professionals who join the system are from outside Spain and 70% from outside Catalonia. On the other hand, the single university district and the provision of residency places, which allows for the arrival of professionals from outside Spain and Catalonia. medical students and residents who may later leave to practice in their communities and therefore believe they will not need Catalan. Forty percent of the 5,900 residents in 2023 came from non-Catalan-speaking territories.