The company La Pau will no longer provide the ambulance service in Álava and Bizkaia after the Department of Health has imposed several penalties for non-compliance with the services entrusted to it before 30 November. The Deputy Minister of Administration and Finance of the Department of Health, Lorea Bilbao, has acknowledged that the Catalan company does not intend to continue its contracts with Osakidetza and has communicated it to the Basque Government in its recent meetings with the administration.

The decision was taken after the meeting held on Tuesday afternoon by Vice-Minister Lorea Bilbao with the company. The Basque Government has agreed with the ambulance La Pau "once all the possibilities have been analysed" an "orderly departure" before 30 November. The Department of Health has explained that until then health transport assistance is "guaranteed without interruption" until a new company takes over the management of the ambulance service of Bizkaia and Álava through an emergency contract.

The Government has explained that it is “the most appropriate solution” to the incidents with La Pau, “putting patients and workers in companies at the centre and as a priority and, of course, the rights of both”. The company has received criticisms related to poor working conditions and health services; late payroll payments, lack of personnel and sufficient ambulance material... The trade unions have described the issue as “very serious misconduct”.

Since last July, the Department of Health has acted “according to the mistakes made by the Catalan company”, applying both administrative and economic measures “for failure to comply with the requirements”. However, as stated by Berria, the Basque Government again offered the ambulance contract to La Pau, with an emergency contract of EUR 147 million and a scheduled contract of EUR 135 million. The Department of Health has decided to set up a follow-up commission “to ensure compliance with contracts”.