La Rioja’s Health Minister, María Martín, presented the budget for her department on 8 October at the Parliament of La Rioja gave the 2027 draft budget . According to the presentation, funding for healthcare professionals (Chapter 1) will rise to €340 million. The government says this represents an increase of more than €36 million, or 12.6 per cent, compared with 2026.
The government presents the increase as part of an overall expansion of the budget. The Comunidad Autónoma’s total budget is expected to reach €2,322.34 million in 2027, an increase of 9.62 per cent. According to the executive, €954 million is earmarked for health and social care, of which around €750 million will go to healthcare. The additional staffing funds are intended to finance new posts in Primary care and hospitals, as well as secure previously agreed measures to retain and recruit staff, Martín said.
Among the measures announced, the minister listed six new posts for clinical psychologists to strengthen psychiatry and mental health care. She also mentioned infrastructure projects: the first phase of expansion at the Hospital Universitario San Pedro, the expansion of emergency departments and the development of the research centre CIBIR, new health centres in Alberite and Calahorra and additional home hospitalisation and neurorehabilitation services.
Opposition representatives signalled support for investment during the parliamentary debate, but criticised continuing waiting times and called for measurable indicators, for example on appointment scheduling. The governing majority pointed to the combination of increased staffing, infrastructure and research as a way to expand care capacity and retain professionals.
The 2027 draft budget has yet to be approved and is now before the Parliament of La Rioja. Whether the announced recruitment and projects will bring noticeable relief in the short term will depend on tenders, contract awards and implementation in the coming months. In the medium to long term, the measures are likely to have the greatest impact where additional primary care teams can be established and bottlenecks in heavily burdened hospital units reduced.
The figures and plans cited are based on the regional government’s proposal and the information presented to parliament on 8 October 2026.
Editor: Clara Simonichek (Article created with AI assistance).