The Department of Health has come out to defend its proposal Provide incentives to CAPs to shorten the duration of sick leaveA measure that has stirred controversy in recent hours. This Monday, the Catalan Health Department (Salut) stated in a press release that the proposal to improve the management of temporary disability (TD) does not aim to "reduce the number or duration of sick leave, but rather to prevent it from being unnecessarily prolonged due to organizational problems, delays in testing, or difficulties accessing specialists." Salut thus justifies its decision to promote financial incentives in Catalan healthcare centers to shorten the duration of sick leave for mental health issues and musculoskeletal injuries. However, some within the sector are calling this argument "purely economic."

The Catalan Ombudsman has taken into consideration the complaint of a 72-year-old man regarding the age limit for colon cancer screening programs and is asking the Catalan Health Department, on which the complaint is based, to stop performing diagnostic tests after the age of 69, precisely the age at which these types of tumors are most common. This case of ageism, or age discrimination, was reported by... Joaquim Vilargunter from Barcelona in the pages of ARA After the regional health department headed by Olga Pané and a court denied him entry into the public prevention program, the director of social rights for the Ombudsman, Jordi Sánchez Pinyol, has opened an investigation following the news published on November 17th to determine if the Health Department has scientific reports to justify the age restriction to 69, and also inquires whether any such reports exist within that age range. In his complaint, Joaquim Vilargunter provided reports from other health services, such as those in the Basque Country and others in the European Union, which have decided to extend the screening age range to 74, taking into account the high incidence of cancer and the fact that stool analysis is cheaper than medical treatment. In the letter that Sánchez Pinyol has sent to the Catalan Health Department (Salut), he also asks about the exact cost of each test and "the impact that extending the age range to 74 would have on the healthcare budget," as well as what information is available on the incidence of this type of cancer in people over 69. The Ombudsman explains that he has opted to act ex officio without mentioning Vilargunter's personal case, knowing that he is unlikely to receive a positive response before turning 74 (he is two years away), while it could be a solution for other people who are about to reach the maximum age for the prevention program. According to Sánchez Pinyol, colorectal cancer screenings have many parallels with breast cancer, which also has an age limit and leaves women without universal and free periodic screening.

Carmen Castillo has been seeing a psychiatrist for over forty years and, now, about to turn 75, she often visits her primary care physician or the hospital more than she'd like. On her daughter's advice, she's waiting for the telecare button and a dependency assessment to qualify for a subsidy to adapt her bathroom, a process she says has become complicated because she had to go to the doctor who has known her for years to get a report on how osteoarthritis has reduced her mobility. "They send you from one place to another looking for someone who understands you and will take care of you," she complains. This duplication of procedures is what the future Integrated Social and Healthcare Agency (AGAISS-Cat), approved this Wednesday by the Catalan Parliament, aims to eliminate. However, if all goes well, it won't be operational for another year, and the full integration of both services won't be complete until November 2027. The approval of the AGAISS-CAT law was supported by the PSC, Junts, ERC, and Comuns, with abstentions from the PP and Aliança and votes against from the CUP and Vox deputies. During the parliamentary debate, the Minister of Health, Olga Pané, emphasized that the new body will guarantee the sustainability of the healthcare and social services systems, while the Minister of Social Rights, Mònica Martínez, stated that a "new era" is beginning to integrate two pillars of the welfare state and profoundly change the way care is provided. For four decades, Catalan governments had attempted to integrate these two services, but it is only now that a tool has been created to "improve care" for the one million people who require healthcare and social services, whether due to dependency, disability, or chronic illness. The project leaders explain that AGAISS-Cat represents a "new perspective," a "pioneering and innovative" model that should make life easier not only for citizens but also for professionals. The cornerstone of the new social and healthcare structure is a one-stop shop that will guide patients through the pathways, preventing them from having to go from one doctor to another or from the social worker to the nurse. With this model, there will be a designated professional or team that can collaborate to assess and decide, in a coordinated manner, the best medical or social solution for each person at any given time, without the need to repeat tests or duplicate paperwork. This is the case of Castillo, who was diagnosed and medicated "for one thing" at the hospital and "for another" at the primary care center. The new model should involve a single assessment and streamline the pathways, which are currently very fragmented and bureaucratic. Less medication and fewer hospitalizations.

In principle, technology should facilitate the sharing of information between primary care physicians and hospitals with staff from municipal social services or the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion so that professionals can quickly understand the details of medical and social needs. This, they claim, will reduce overmedication, since there is often a tendency to prescribe drugs to treat a social problem, as well as excessive hospitalizations, and will lead to more accurate diagnoses and treatments.

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With the arrival of winter, respiratory viruses such as the flu, COVID-19, and bronchiolitis circulate more intensely. The cold weather means we spend less time outdoors and gather more in enclosed spaces, facilitating the transmission of viruses. Although many of these illnesses resolve on their own, they can cause serious complications, especially in at-risk or vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic illnesses. Every year, between December and January, this increase in infections leads to a rise in visits to Primary Care Centers (CAPs) and emergency rooms, many of which could be avoided with preventative measures, especially vaccination.

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The circulation of respiratory viruses such as influenza and COVID-19 increases during the fall and winter, and the Department of Health has launched its annual vaccination campaign to protect people at risk of complications if infected. Given that the forecast for the coming months is that the flu season could be two to four weeks earlier—as reported this Wednesday by the Deputy Director General of Surveillance and Response to Public Health Emergencies of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Jacobo Mendioroz—the vaccination campaign will also begin earlier than usual, in mid-September.

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In Catalonia, 21.3% of children between 6 and 12 years old are overweight and 11.3% suffer from obesity, according to data from the 2024 Catalan Health Survey (ESCA). The percentage of obesity is higher among boys—standing at 14%—than among girls—standing at. To address this public health problem, it is important that its approach and prevention be included within the framework of equitable policies that reduce social and commercial inequalities in health, emphasizing the environment and living conditions of children and their families.

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A seasonal fruit in the afternoon instead of a handful of biscuits, a glass of water instead of a sugary drink, or a good lentil salad with seasonal vegetables instead of a hamburger. There's no need to follow any extravagant diet or spend hours in the kitchen. The Department of Health's "Small Changes for Better Eating" guide helps you take care of your health and that of the planet with simple and affordable eating tips.

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The importance of sick leave and the consequences of its abusive or improper use. This is the main objective of the Catalan government, which has called on citizens to make responsible use of temporary work interruptions due to illness or accident. The Catalan government, through the Department of Health, aims to raise awareness of the individual responsibility that exists in the appropriate use of sick leave, to convey the importance of a culture of responsibility toward the Catalan healthcare system—on the part of both workers and companies—and to raise awareness of the social and economic impact of temporary disabilities.

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The vaccination page used in Catalonia to make or change appointments allowed access to third-party data. The Department of Health solved the problem just over a week ago and claims that during the months this security breach was in place no information was leaked. "There has been no incident in the VacunaCovid page leading to third parties gaining access to information on other citizens," the department stated in response to questions by ARA.

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