Head of Cardiology at Cruces 2026: requirements, deadlines and how to apply for the competition

Key data

The position of Head of Cardiology Service at Cruces hospital is announced through a merit-based competition via the Resolution 2078/2026, of 30 June, from the Management Board of OSI Ezkerraldea-Enkarterri-Cruces. If you are a cardiologist with a permanent position in Osakidetza or in the SNS, you have a window of 15 business days to decide whether to apply. The process combines merit assessment with public defence of a management project, and there is a minimum score threshold that you must exceed to be appointed.

What does this call establish?

The resolution regulates the process of filling the head position of the Cardiology Service through a merit-based competition. Below are the key elements of the process:

The process has two major evaluation blocks: the merit scoring scale (training, experience, teaching and research activity, etc.) and the management project with public defence. Both blocks have independent minimum thresholds: it is not enough to accumulate many merits if the project does not reach 50% of its maximum score, and vice versa.

Professional and operational impact

Accessing a service head position in a reference hospital like Cruces represents a significant qualitative and financial leap in the career of a specialist physician. Service heads in Osakidetza carry a management position supplement that is added to the base salary and supplements of the A1 category. Although the resolution does not detail the specific remuneration figures, the impact is significant in three dimensions:

• Financial: Healthcare service head positions in group A1 incorporate specific management supplements that significantly increase remuneration compared to the base care position.
• Professional: The head position implies responsibility for the organization, planning and clinical management of the Cardiology Service at Cruces hospital, one of the most complex centres in the Basque Country.
• Operational: The selected candidate must present and publicly defend a management project, which requires specific and structured preparation before the date of the defence.

Who does it affect?

This call directly affects the following profiles:

• Specialist physicians in Cardiology with permanent positions in Osakidetza (permanent statutory staff, group A1).
• Specialist physicians in Cardiology who are group A1 civil servants in any healthcare administration of the National Health System (SNS).
• Professionals with a minimum of 4 years of accredited experience in the specialty of Cardiology.
• Cardiologists who aspire to assume clinical management responsibilities in a reference university hospital in the Basque Country.

Physicians in interim positions, temporary staff without permanent positions, and specialists from other branches other than Cardiology cannot compete.

Practical example

A cardiologist with a permanent position in Osakidetza for 8 years, who has worked as an associate in the Cardiology Service at Cruces hospital, meets the access requirements: he/she is permanent statutory staff in group A1, holds the specialty in Cardiology and has more than 4 years of experience.

To apply for the competition, he/she must:

1. Register his/her application within the 15 business days from the last publication in the corresponding official bulletins.
2. Prepare and present a management project for the Cardiology Service, which he/she must publicly defend before the Assessment Commission chaired by the Medical Director.
3. Gather and document all merits for the scoring scale (training, publications, teaching, previous management experience, etc.).
4. Obtain at least 50% of the total maximum score and at least 50% of the maximum score of the management project to be appointed. If he/she does not reach both thresholds simultaneously, he/she cannot be appointed even if he/she has the highest score among candidates.

What should you do now?

1. Verify the publication date in all official bulletins (BOE and Basque regional bulletin) to accurately calculate the start and end of the 15 business day deadline.
2. Check that you meet the access requirements: permanent position as statutory staff or group A1 civil servant, specialty in Cardiology and minimum 4 years of accredited experience.
3. Begin preparing the management project immediately, as it is the most demanding element of the process and has an independent minimum threshold of 50%.
4. Gather and organize merit documentation for the scoring scale: postgraduate training, scientific publications, teaching activity, clinical management experience and any other merit assessable according to the bases.
5. Consult the complete bases of the call in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-19280) to know the detailed scoring scale, the project assessment criteria and the application submission procedure.
6. Consider specialized advice in Osakidetza selection processes if this is your first time applying for a service head position, given that public defence of the project requires specific preparation.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source — BOE-A-2026-19280

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-19280