Gone are the times, not so long ago, when the Servei de Salut denied doctors who had already reached retirement age the possibility of extending their working life. Nowadays, mainly due to the lack of medical professionals that the whole country suffers from, the IB-Salut automatically extends the working life of all physicians who wish to continue beyond the ordinary retirement age as long as they pass the tests that prove that their functional capacity is still valid to practice their profession.

Salud Aplaza La JubilaciรฃยณN De 31 MรฃยฉDicos De Ibiza Y Formentera | Simebal Ministry of Health postpones retirement for 31 doctors from Ibiza and Formentera | SIMEBAL / I. OLAIZOLAI.O. PALMA

At the moment, according to figures from the Servei de Salut, there are a total of 140 doctors working despite having exceeded the retirement age. Of these, 83 are working in the health centers of the islands and the remaining 57 in the different public hospitals. By health departments, the vast majority belong to Mallorca (173), with more notable extensions of working life in Menorca (14 health professionals) and Ibiza and Formentera (31).

Working beyond retirement age

Regarding the latter, 51 are medical specialists, 5 work in the Emergency Department (specialized emergency physicians, unlike in other surrounding countries, is not recognized) and the remaining physician is a clinical psychologist. Referring to all the professional categories that encompass the so-called health personnel, there are currently a total of 218 workers who continue to work after the age of 65. Of these, 115 are 66 years old; 43 have reached 67; 25 are 68; 17 are 69; 16 continue to 70 and only two are doing so after the age of 70, one is 71 and another is 73. One hundred and nine of these continuing healthcare professionals work in primary care and 103 in hospital care.