Call for Catalan as a Merit in Specialist Medical Training

Plataforma per la Llengua has submitted formal objections to the draft royal decree revising conditions for the MIR (Medical Specialisation Training), urging the Spanish Ministry of Health to recognise Catalan language proficiency as a merit in allocating placements across Catalan-speaking territories. The organisation is calling for knowledge of Catalan to be formally valued when assigning positions in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Country. It argues this would ensure future healthcare professionals can communicate effectively with patients in their preferred language.

The language is inseparable from good healthcare, as confirmed by various studies.

Obligatory Language Training During Working Hours

The group also demands that residents lacking sufficient Catalan skills receive mandatory language training integrated into their working or training hours. The proposed curriculum would focus on medical vocabulary and common clinical communication scenarios, aiming for a level equivalent to A2 or specific health communication programmes offered by health services. These recommendations are part of broader proposals extending to all co-official languages in Spain beyond Spanish.

Language Skills Tied to Patient Safety and Care

Plataforma per la Llengua stresses that effective communication between professionals and patients is essential for accurate diagnosis, informed consent, and treatment adherence. It cites research, including a study by the Canadian Medical Association, showing French-speaking patients in Ontario had shorter hospital stays and lower risks when treated in their language. A joint study by the University of Ottawa and the University of Manitoba also found significantly lower mortality risks for patients treated in their native language.

Healthcare Remains Top Source of Language Complaints

Language-related complaints in healthcare remain the most frequent in public administration. According to Plataforma per la Llengua, 282 such complaints were received in 2024 across Catalan-speaking areas, a 14.17% increase from 2023. In Catalonia specifically, complaints rose by 14.73%, with 257 cases reported. Of these, 157 were against the public health system, up from 130 in 2023, a 17.7% increase, compared to a 10% rise in the private sector.

  • Valencian region saw a 40% rise in complaints (10 in 2023 to 14 in 2024)
  • Public healthcare accounted for 12 of the 14 complaints in that region
  • Private healthcare complaints rose from 0 to 2

Systemic Gaps Despite Existing Initiatives

The group acknowledges efforts such as the 'Prescriu-te el català!' training programme and the 'Plan to Guarantee Knowledge and Use of Catalan in Catalonia’s Public Health System 2024–2026' launched by the Catalan government. However, it warns these measures are insufficient. A 2024 study by the Council of Medical Colleges of Catalonia (CCMC) found that 69.1% of registered doctors in Catalonia do not speak Catalan, 61.4% cannot write it, 13% do not understand it, and 12.4% cannot read it. Plataforma per la Llengua insists legal tools must be used to ensure language competence, whether as a requirement or merit in professional selection processes.

Long-Term Demands Beyond Training

Beyond MIR placements, the group has long urged the Catalan government to enforce existing language laws and apply sanctions where necessary. It advocates for mandatory linguistic assertiveness training, B2-level Catalan as a requirement in the first year of employment, C1 accreditation by the second year, and proper handling of complaints, including formal investigations and sanctions when warranted.

Primary sources: EAPC,Escola d'Administració Pública de Catalunya, eapc, scientiasalut.gencat.cat, govern.cat, govern.cat, EAPC,Escola d'Administració Pública de Catalunya, EAPC,Escola d'Administració Pública de Catalunya, eapc, govern.cat, ${rpb.dspace.name}, ${rpb.dspace.name}. Reported by VilaWeb, Regió 7, Josep Maria Botanch, El Món, Meditecnologia, vilaweb.cat, 3CatInfo, Plataforma per la llengua, plataforma-llengua.cat, ARA, Ariadna Garcia i Bassols, Racó Català.