Spanish Healthcare Union Decries Judicial Delays Amid Rising Violence Against Staff
The Satse union is calling for urgent reforms to address rising violence against healthcare workers in the Canary Islands, citing a two-and-a-half-year delay in the trial of a nurse assaulted in Tacoronte as evidence of a failing judicial and security system.
Delays in the Spanish justice system are back in the spotlight following news that the trial for an assault on a nurse at the Tacoronte health center—which took place on New Year’s Eve 2023—will not begin until next May. The Satse union points out that this two-and-a-half-year wait highlights a stark gap between the promised protection of healthcare workers and the reality of the legal system, noting that these delays only add to the psychological burden on victims.
The nurse involved in the incident was on medical leave for seven months due to her injuries and continues to receive follow-up care. Unfortunately, her experience is part of a rising trend of violence across the Canary Islands. Data from the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS) shows a steady increase in incidents: 664 assaults were recorded in 2025, up from 544 the year before. Of these, 68 were physical, 524 were verbal, and 72 were mixed. The union warns that these figures likely underrepresent the true scale of the problem, as many staff members do not report every incident.
The Tacoronte health center, which serves as a Continuous Care Point (PAC), has become a major concern for the union. With shifts often limited to just one doctor and one nurse—and no security guards present outside of standard 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. hours—staff are left highly vulnerable. The center handles a workload similar to a busy emergency room, and because healthcare staff are also responsible for managing patient access, the union describes the current working environment as structurally unsafe.
While the SCS has an Aggression Prevention Plan in place, workers' representatives question its effectiveness. They argue that the combination of frequent violence and slow legal action is leading to a dangerous normalization of these attacks, which in turn fuels stress, fear, and burnout among staff. Satse is calling for a comprehensive solution that includes hiring more personnel and speeding up judicial processes to ensure that hospitals and clinics remain safe environments for those who work in them.