Tenerife’s Social Health Care Expansion: 518 New Places Amidst Rising Demand

The Cabildo of Tenerife has recently reported the establishment of 518 new social health care places over the past two years, a response to the increasing demand for care services on the island.

Current Demand and Waiting List Challenges

During a plenary session, Águeda Fumero, the Councillor for Social Action, revealed that the waiting list for social health care has surged to 18,046 individuals. This figure underscores the ongoing challenges in meeting the needs of those requiring dependency care. At the beginning of her term, the waiting list was approximately 13,000, but the number has grown significantly due to heightened demand and an aging population.

Investment in Infrastructure and Services

Fumero emphasized the necessity for continuous investment in human resources, infrastructure, and stable financing to address the structural challenges facing the social health care system. She expressed regret to those awaiting services, acknowledging that the demand currently outstrips available resources.

Among the newly created places, 18 are designated for a psychogeriatric resource in Los Realejos, with an additional 14 focusing on specialized care in that area. Other allocations include 20 places for individuals with autism spectrum disorder in La Laguna, 20 for mental health issues in Güímar, and another 20 for those with acquired brain injuries. Moreover, two flats have been established to assist homeless elderly individuals. A pilot project aimed at providing home care for non-dependent elderly residents has also been initiated, serving municipalities with older populations such as Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Arona, Adeje, and Puerto de la Cruz, with a capacity for up to 500 users.

Professional Support and New Positions

The Councillor highlighted the critical role of various professionals, including psychologists, social workers, doctors, neurologists, psychiatrists, and speech therapists, in enhancing the quality of care. Additionally, 16 new positions for nursing auxiliary care technicians have been created at the Febles Campos hospital, alongside efforts to stabilize the personnel involved in dependency assessments.

Financial Commitment to Social Health Care

The Cabildo has allocated four million euros for improvements in its own care centers. This includes two million euros specifically aimed at upgrading geriatric facilities, such as bathrooms, elevators, climate control, and healthcare spaces at Febles Campos. Plans are also in place for new social health care centers in Añaza and La Orotava, with a total investment of 43.8 million euros, funded through the Canary Islands’ Social Health Infrastructure Plan. Fumero mentioned that the Cabildo is working on finalizing a new dependency agreement to facilitate an increase in available places and enhance the overall social health infrastructure on the island.

Political Criticism and Accountability Issues

Political scrutiny has emerged regarding the management of social health care places. Marián Franquet, a Councillor from the PSOE party, criticized the island government’s handling of the situation, alleging discrepancies in the reported number of created places. She claimed that the initially announced 518 places had been reduced to 422, while other figures included teleassistance services and home equipment, which she argued could mislead the public.

Franquet has consistently sought detailed information on the execution of the dependency agreement but has received inadequate responses. She condemned the delays in finalizing the 2025 dependency agreement, describing it as a significant obstacle to planning new places. According to her analysis, the waiting list for elderly residences has risen from 3,178 to 3,317 individuals over the past two years, with only 56 new places added, representing a mere 1.7% increase. She pointed out that no new places have been established in the metropolitan area, which accounts for 46% of the demand.

Franquet remarked on the discrepancy between promises made during the electoral campaign and the reality of the situation, stating that while the Cabildo president, Rosa Dávila, announced 2,800 residential places, only 56 have been created. The waiting lists for day centers and teleassistance services have also seen alarming increases, further complicating the landscape of social health care on the island.

Key points

• 518 new social health care places have been created in Tenerife over two years.
• The current waiting list for care resources stands at 18,046 individuals.
• Investment of four million euros has been made in social health care infrastructure.
• New positions for nursing auxiliary care technicians have been established at Febles Campos hospital.
• Political criticism has arisen regarding the management and reporting of social health care places.
• Waiting lists for elderly residences have increased significantly, with only 56 new places added.
• Plans for new social health care centers in Añaza and La Orotava are underway.