What changes for patients and visitors from 16 October?
From Friday 16 October 2026, doctors in the public health service SCS are called on to stop work during regular working hours. Health centres and hospitals on all inhabited Canary Islands could be affected.
For residents covered by the Spanish health system, European visitors with a health insurance card and private patients, prices and entitlement rules do not change initially. However, routine appointments such as consultations, tests or operations may be postponed at short notice.
Emergency care is expected to continue through minimum service levels set by the health authority. Anyone with an urgent medical emergency can still go to hospital A&E departments or call 112.
Which appointments are most at risk?
The strike action is due to take place Monday to Friday during regular working hours. The first strike days announced are 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 26 October 2026, as reported by Canarias7.
Routine services are particularly affected: specialist appointments, screening examinations, diagnostic imaging and non-urgent operations. According to Canarias7, the health authority warns of a rise in waiting lists because of cancelled consultations and procedures.
Anyone with an appointment at a public health centre or hospital in the coming days should check by phone beforehand whether it will go ahead. No central information point for cancelled appointments had been published by 15 October.
What is the dispute about?
The unions Sindicato Médico Canario (CESM Canarias) and Sindicato de Empleados Médicos de Canarias (SEMCA) are demanding higher pay, changes to working hours and on-call duties, and better rest periods after shifts.
A central demand is a separate negotiating framework for doctors within the SCS. The health authority says it will examine the legal options for this, but according to the unions has given no concrete timetable.
The Canary Islands strike is independent of the national conflict over a new Estatuto Marco for health workers. It concerns only working conditions in the Canary Islands health service.
What concessions has the health authority made?
The SCS management said it had put forward a package of proposals. These include optionally shorter weekday on-call periods, where staffing allows, without loss of pay or rest days.
For weekends and public holidays, the SCS proposed two 12-hour shifts instead of one 24-hour shift.
The SCS also mentioned an increase in the rate for night on-call hours. The source did not give a starting figure or comparison period for this.
What was participation like in previous strikes?
During earlier strike days in December 2025, the Canary Islands government reported participation. Gran Canaria recorded 25.79 percent, Tenerife 23.48 percent and Lanzarote 23.18 percent.
In May 2026 the official figures fell. On 18 June 2026 participation stood at 9.14 percent, with 11.13 percent on Gran Canaria and 8.21 percent on Tenerife.
Fuerteventura and La Palma were well below the figures for the larger islands in earlier strikes. No strikers were recorded on La Gomera and El Hierro.
What happens after 16 October?
The last meeting between the SCS and the unions took place in October 2026. No agreement had been reached by 15 October. The unions described the health authority's response as "insuficiente", meaning inadequate.
The unions say they remain open to talks.
Whether the strike continues beyond 26 October depends on how negotiations progress. According to Europa Press, the health authority expects the unions to reconsider the strike as long as talks continue.