Osakidetza Healthcare Service Head Competition 2026: Key Requirements and Deadlines

Key data

Osakidetza announces a merit-based competition to fill the position of Healthcare Service Head in the Healthcare Assistance Directorate, according to Resolution 1777/2026, of October 23, published in the BOE on November 13, 2026. This process directly affects fixed statutory physicians from group A1 from both Osakidetza and the National Health System who meet the specific requirements established in the announcement.

The process is not a simple administrative application: it requires preparing and publicly presenting a management project before a Valuation Committee, which implies a real commitment of time and resources from candidates.

What does this regulation establish?

Resolution 1777/2026 regulates the process for filling the position of Healthcare Service Head in the Healthcare Assistance Directorate of Osakidetza through a merit-based competition. Below are all the requirements and conditions of the process:

The selection combines two elements: objective assessment of merits accumulated by the candidate and public presentation of a management project, which gives significant weight to the applicant's leadership capacity and strategic vision, beyond professional history.

Economic and operational impact

This competition has direct operational implications for candidates and for the human resources departments of Osakidetza and other institutions of the National Health System:

• For candidates: Preparing the management project requires a significant investment of time. Public presentation before the Valuation Committee adds a preparation burden that goes beyond simple merit accreditation.
• Language proficiency as an entry barrier: Language proficiency level 2 in Basque, mandatory from December 2026, is an exclusionary requirement. Candidates who cannot prove it will be excluded from the process, regardless of their clinical or management experience.
• Tight deadline: 15 business days is a short period to gather and organize documentation proving merits and prepare the management project. Immediate planning is critical.
• Risk of exclusion: Excluded applicants have only 10 business days to claim or remedy deficiencies. After that deadline, exclusion is final.

Who does it affect?

• Physicians with a fixed position in Osakidetza from group A1 with a degree in Medicine and at least 4 years of experience in the specialty.
• Fixed statutory personnel from group A1 of the National Health System who meet the same requirements for qualification, experience, and language proficiency.
• Candidates who already have language proficiency level 2 in Basque or can prove it before the mandatory requirement in December 2026.
• Human resources departments of Basque public health centers and the NHS that manage their personnel's participation in this competition.

Practical example

A specialist physician with a fixed position in Osakidetza, group A1, with 6 years of experience in their specialty and language proficiency level 2 in Basque already accredited, decides to apply for the competition.

Their process would be as follows:

1. Verifies that they meet all requirements: group A1, degree in Medicine, PL2 in Basque, and more than 4 years of experience in the specialty. Result: meets all requirements.
2. Submits their application within the 15 business days from the last publication in official bulletins, attaching documentation proving their merits.
3. If their application were excluded due to a formal defect, they have 10 business days to claim or remedy the deficiency.
4. If admitted, they prepare and publicly present their management project before the Valuation Committee, which must be composed respecting balanced gender representation in accordance with Basque equality regulations.
5. The Committee assesses the overall merits and project presentation to determine the selected candidate.

A physician with the same profile but without language proficiency level 2 in Basque could not participate, as this requirement is mandatory from December 2026.

What should candidates do now?

1. Verify compliance with requirements: Confirm that you have a fixed position in group A1, a degree in Medicine, language proficiency level 2 in Basque, and a minimum of 4 years of experience in the specialty. If any of these requirements are missing, participation is not possible.
2. Identify the exact start date of the deadline: The 15 business day deadline begins from the last publication in the corresponding official bulletins. It is essential to know that date to avoid missing the application deadline.
3. Gather and organize merit documentation: Collect all documents proving experience, training, and other valuable merits before submitting the application.
4. Prepare the management project: This element is decisive in the selection. It should reflect a clear and well-founded vision on managing the Healthcare Service in the Healthcare Assistance Directorate.
5. Monitor the list of admitted and excluded applicants: If the candidate appears as excluded, they have only 10 business days to claim or remedy deficiencies. After that deadline, exclusion is final.
6. Prove language proficiency before December 2026: If you do not yet have PL2 in Basque, the mandatory requirement from December 2026 makes this requirement exclusionary for this and future similar processes.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is purely informational in nature 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-2026-23793