ESA Newsletter: Point of View 2002

A POINT OF VIEW

Dr Pablo Monedero, ESA Council Representative, Spain

As a member of the Critical Care Section of the Spanish Society of Anaesthesiology, I was surprised to read on the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) web page the report from Dr.H. Burchardi at the meeting held on September 4, 1999 in Brussels.
http://www.uems.be/mjcicm.htm
Dr. Burchardi informed the Multidisciplinary Joint Committee for Intensive Care Medicine (MJCICM, UEMS) members that the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine (SSICM) had made an official statement that it will try to change the current situation of intensive care medicine in Spain (an independent speciality). He also informed the meeting that the SSICM have requested the Spanish Minister of Health to change the current situation according to the recommendations of the MJCICM UEMS.
Regrettably, I do not believe that this is completely true. Up to now there has been no active initiative to change the “status quo” and I would even say that the SSIC is trying to maintain a position contrary to the UEMS recommendations in that:-
1 ) They continue training primary specialists in intensive care medicine. In this year’s requests for medical training posts, the SSICM have asked for 109 training positions as primary specialists (http://www.msc.es/formacion/home.htm). Furthermore, Dr. Gonzalez, President of the SSICM, stated in a Spanish newspaper that they have refused to become a specific area for multidisciplinary training, and that they want to maintain the position of intensive care medicine as a primary speciality (http://www.diariomedico.com/edicion/noticia/0,2458,148479,00.html).
2 ) The SSICM is trying to expand the scope of its practice to include new tasks in the public health system in intermediate care units. (http://www.diariomedico.com/edicion/noticia/0,2458,132930,00.html)
3 ). They have blocked all conversations with the Spanish Society of Anaesthesiology and the Minister of Health, thus trying to avoid a change in their current status.
4 ) They are obstructing the access to ICU positions for anaesthesiologists through local and regional by-laws that demand primary training in intensive care medicine as the only option for eligibility for these posts. (http://www.diariomedico.com/profesion/prof191197combis.html)
5 ) The SSICM also hinder the access to the European Diploma of Intensive Care Medicine of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) by withholding the signature of the President of the SSICM.
6 ) Political and media pressure is being applied to the Spanish Minister of Health, in order to survive as a primary speciality.
I firmly believe that stronger action by the UEMS and the ESA is needed for the harmonisation and improvement of the quality of medical specialist practice in the European Union.


The editorial, Speciality status for Intensive Care Medicine? H Burchardi, European Journal of Anaesthesiology 2001;18:67-69 is recommended reading. Editor