Spain
HISTORY
1900 First law legislating work accidents. This law originated the development of a treatment and compensation system for workers.
1955 Occupational Medicine officially recognised as a medical specialty.
1956 Spanish Society of Occupational Health and Safety at Work founded as a federation of regional societies.
1989 Access to 3 year formal training in OM through national examination.
2005 Four year Specialist Training Scheme in Occupational Medicine established.
ORGANISATION
POPULATION
Total population: 46.072.834
Active population: 23.122.300
Registered doctors: 219.031 (476 doctors / 100.000 inhabitants)
Occupational Physicians: 10.500 doctors with title of specialist in OM (5.500 doctors actually working in OM (estimated))
NATURE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES
In-house OHS: mainly public sector and large private enterprises.
Outsourced OHS: most medium and small sized enterprises (a very high number of private companies in Spain are medium or small) and many large companies.
PROFFESION
TRAINING
After medical school, access to a 4 year specialist training programme in Occupational Medicine through national examination. Training includes a 6 month theoretical course, 20 months hospital rotations and 20 months rotation in an Occupational Health Service. Training is funded mainly by private sector (unlike other specialties) which is causing a worrying decline in number of trainees.
TASKS / TASK DISTRIBUTION
- Preventive: Most OH Physicians work in this modality. Health surveillance and fitness for work evaluation. Periodical medical examinations for workers. It can be done in an in-house OHS or in an outsourced private OHS.
- Clinical: diagnosis and treatment of work accidents and occupational diseases in a “mutual insurance company”. This system is parallel to the National Health System, which covers not work related pathology.
- Others: Evaluation of work disability for compensation schemes. Sickness absence. Advice/support Units for General Practitioners. Civil Service. University.
HOT TOPICS
- Decreasing number of trainees.
- Communication between the two systems of social security (occupational and not occupational) and the preventive system (OHS).
- Occupational diseases.
- Changes in legislation.
- Concern about the position and the future of the specialty.
ASSOCIATION AND WEBLINKS
SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE MEDICINA Y SEGURIDAD DEL TRABAJO (SEMST)
Spanish Society of Medicine and Safety at Work is a federation of 12 regional societies with an autonomous regional scope and a total of over 3000 professionals associated.
Address: C/ Santa Isabel, 51. 28012 Madrid. Tel 91 792 13 65. (Fax 91 500 20 75)
Website: http://www.semst.org
President: Francisco Vicente FORNES UBEDA
SOCIETAT CATALANA DE SALUT LABORAL (SCSL)
Catalan Society of Occupational Health is the biggest of the 12 regional societies with 800 professionals associated.
Address: Carrer Major de Can Caralleu 1-7. 08017 Barcelona. Tel: 93 203 27 97 (Fax: 93 203 14 85)
Website:http://webs.academia.cat/
President: Jordi Carles Schlaghecke Gras
Contact person: Mari Cruz Rodríguez Jareño (scsl@academia.cat )