Costa del Sol 24-Hour emergency unit pushed to breaking point as summer demand surges

Doctors have issued a major warning as peak summer demand pushes Mijas and Fuengirola’s only 24-hour emergency facility to dangerous limits.

Health system under strain

Patients across Mijas and Fuengirola are enduring waits of up to a huge six hours at their local urgent care unit, as doctors warn the service is being pushed to dangerous limits. With a single doctor often left covering dozens of patients at once, the Malaga Medical Union (SMM) paints a seriously worrying picture of a system that is only getting worse.

The Las Lagunas Primary Care Emergency Service (SUAP), is the sole 24-hour facility serving a combined year-round population of over 180,000, which swells massively each summer. Union representatives blame chronic understaffing for the bottleneck, citing near-daily internal callouts throughout July as staff struggle to cover unfilled day and night shifts.

Nearly 300 patients a day

Figures shared by the union show the unit treats roughly 300 patients every 24 hours, with a new arrival walking through the door every five minutes on some July evenings. On certain nights, more than thirty people have reportedly been left waiting for assessment at once, with just one doctor and one nurse on site while colleagues attended home visits elsewhere.

Lengthy periods pass where triage simply cannot take place. Patients go unsorted by urgency for hours, something the union warns could raise the risk of adverse incidents.

Recruitment “failure” exposed

Blame for the crisis, according to the union, lies partly with a failed recruitment drive. Of 105 Family Medicine posts offered to newly qualified doctors in the district, only six were taken up, whilst all 36 support-service posts tied to emergency units went unfilled entirely. These alarming figures expose just how unappealing these roles have become and point to an urgent need to overhaul pay, conditions and incentives for frontline staff.

Union demands urgent action plan

Calls have now gone out for an emergency reinforcement plan, a full review of medical and nursing staffing levels, and dedicated incentives to attract workers to out-of-hospital emergency care. An urgent safety assessment and immediate talks with health authorities have also been demanded. No response has yet been issued by the Costa del Sol Health District.