New fines for assaults on healthcare staff introduced across Alicante and Valencia

Assaults against healthcare staff across Alicante and the wider Valencian Community will now carry financial penalties reaching up to 60,000 euro. The Official Gazette of the Valencian Government (DOGV) has published an amendment to the Valencian Community Health Law, establishing a dedicated framework of administrative sanctions to penalise attacks within the medical sector.

The legal reform, enacted through Law 5/2026, follows months of collaborative work between regional authorities, the Official College of Physicians of Alicante (COMA), and the CESM-CV Medical Union. Representatives from the medical organisations welcomed the publication, stating that the initiative aims to provide robust protection for doctors and personnel working across Ministry of Health facilities.

Under the newly classified sanction system:

• Minor Offenses: Subject to fines ranging from 500 to 5,000 euro.
• Serious Offenses: Penalised between 5,001 and 15,000 euro, covering acts such as insults, harassment, and slander.
• Very Serious Offenses: Attract fines from 15,001 to 60,000 euro for physical or verbal attacks, threats, coercion, and persistent harassment.

Data from the province of Alicante reveals that female doctors aged between 36 and 45 are the primary targets, accounting for 81% of reported physical and verbal incidents in the past year. In 2025, eleven incidents were officially logged, including physical violence, threats, and verbal harassment, though professional bodies warn of significant underreporting. Aggressors were predominantly female unscheduled patients under the age of 40, with incidents often triggered by disputes over care or official medical reports.

Recent legal proceedings secured multiple convictions in the province, including a six-month prison term for a patient who physically attacked a doctor, and a fine alongside a 150 euro compensation order for another patient who issued death threats and struck a practitioner over prescription demands and waiting times.

The expanded protections apply to actions committed by patients, family members, and companions, extending to online conduct, social media, and incidents outside medical facilities related to professional practice. Under the law, affected staff are recognised as public authorities.

In addition to financial sanctions, serious breaches may lead to the reassignment of patients to alternative professionals or facilities. Healthcare workers also hold the right to refuse treatment to an aggressor, provided care continuity is maintained without neglect.

Separately, the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community has rejected a petition from the CCOO union seeking an injunction against the July 17 agreement between the CESM-CV and the Valencian Ministry of Health, allowing the regional administration to proceed with implementation commitments that ended previous medical strike action.