Osakidetza is reorganising healthcare for residents of the Barakaldo neighbourhoods of Cruces, Lutxana and Burtzeña: From Monday, 2 November 2026, pilot phases will begin, with Internal Medicine appointments taking place at the Hospital Universitario Cruces . Cardiology, respiratory medicine, ophthalmology and cataract surgery will follow in stages. This was announced by the Departamento de Salud of the Gobierno Vasco there.
The aim is to provide consultations, tests and procedures as close as possible to patients’ homes and to strengthen coordination between Atención Primaria and hospital care. According to Osakidetza, Hospital Universitario Cruces already provides most services for the population concerned: 85 per cent of emergency cases, 66 per cent of hospital admissions, 54 per cent of outpatient consultations and supplementary tests, 100 per cent of hospital-at-home care, 65 per cent of day hospital services and 59 per cent of operating theatres. The reorganisation is intended to consolidate this situation and extend it to further services.
Implementation will proceed in stages through clinical pilots, to test care pathways, ensure clinical safety and maintain coordination between levels of care. Between November and December 2026, cardiology and respiratory medicine appointment schedules will be reorganised by sector and patients rescheduled accordingly. From January 2027, people who have so far been seen at the outpatient clinic Zaballa who were being treated in La Felicidad will continue their treatment there, but using appointment schedules from the Cruces site; related tests and procedures will take place at Hospital Universitario Cruces. For ophthalmology, including cataract surgery, a phased integration is planned for the first half of 2027 because of its greater complexity; larger outpatient cataract operations will be added to the hospital’s operating lists at Cruces.
Osakidetza has discussed the process with the Asociación de Pacientes de Cruces. At the meeting, the Director General of the Servicio Vasco de Salud explained Lore Bilbao, the implementation timetable, the order in which specialties will be integrated, and measures for an orderly transition, including adjustments to staffing, administration and IT-based appointment processes.
Assessment and outlook: The promised proximity of services could shorten journeys, avoid duplicate appointments and strengthen continuity of care. It remains unclear how much additional capacity will be created at Hospital Universitario Cruces and how the redirection of patients will affect waiting times at other sites. Osakidetza expects to provide more specific information after evaluating the pilot phases; further administrative measures are to set out the individual steps.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).