Emergency medicine has officially been acknowledged as a medical specialty in Spain, according to the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES).

On 2 July 2024, the Council of Ministers of the Government of Spain approved a Royal Decree that established emergency medicine as a recognized specialty.

This decree will standardize the training for emergency doctors, with the first resident internal physician positions expected in 2025, and aims to support and retain young individuals aspiring to specialize in this field.

SEMES indicated that this move will prevent the significant loss of talent that has been weakening the National Health System for some time.

SEMES president Dr. Tato Vázquez Lima expressed that this day was of great importance for the country’s health and brought satisfaction and joy to emergency physicians, who finally saw their efforts, vocation, and dedication recognized.

Dr. Vázquez Lima emphasized that the creation of the emergency medicine specialty allows all Spanish patients to be treated by specialists with regulated, consistent, and recognized training, which the citizens deserve, regardless of their location.

He also expressed gratitude towards the government officials, medical associations, societies, and scientists involved in the announcement for their collective effort and generosity in reaching the consensus that enabled the approval of the specialty of emergency medicine in Spain.

This recognition aligns Spain with the majority of European Union countries and follows a similar decision by the Government of the Netherlands in October 2023 after 25 years of lobbying by the Dutch Society for Emergency Medicine.

The European Society for Emergency Medicine congratulated their colleagues in Spain and SEMES for achieving this significant milestone after years of campaigning for the specialty’s recognition.