I just saw that the Ministry of Health has updated the national healthcare waiting list data, with the latest Spanish healthcare data current as of December 31, 2023. I’d like to share my analysis and hear about your personal experiences in different autonomous communities.
Surgical Waiting Times: The Overall Situation is Concerning
According to official data, the average waiting time for non-emergency surgery in Spain is now 128 days, an increase of 8 days from six months ago. The percentage of patients waiting more than six months for surgery has also risen significantly, from 17.4% to 24.3%. It seems the lingering effects of the pandemic are still being felt, and the healthcare system is clearly under immense pressure.
Huge Disparities Among Autonomous Communities
In Spain, everything varies by autonomous community. The longest waiting times are once again found in the usual suspects: Andalusia, Catalonia, and Cantabria. The Community of Madrid is relatively fast, with an average of just 51 days, and the Basque Country is also doing well at 71 days. Those of you living in Madrid must feel quite lucky, right? However, these are just averages; the differences are certainly significant when broken down by type of surgery. For example, orthopedic surgery and general surgery remain the specialties with the longest waits.
| Autonomous Community | Average Surgical Wait Time (Days) |
|---|
| Andalucía | 144 |
| Cataluña | 146 |
| Comunidad de Madrid | 51 |
| País Vasco | 71 |
| National Average | 128 |
Specialist Appointments: Seeing a Specialist is Getting Harder
Even more frustrating than surgery wait times is getting an appointment with a specialist. The average wait to see a specialist has now reached 101 days, crossing the 100-day mark for the first time in history! Just six months ago, this figure was 87 days. This means that from getting a referral from your family doctor to actually seeing the specialist, you’re waiting over three months on average. Ophthalmology, dermatology, and digestive services are the specialties with the longest waits. I once had to wait nearly four months for a dermatology appointment; by the time I was seen, it was ancient history.
Overall, waiting times for both surgeries and specialist appointments in the public healthcare system are increasing. This is likely due to various factors, including staff shortages and unequal resource distribution. I’m curious, do any of you have private health insurance to supplement public coverage? It feels like in the current situation, private insurance could save a lot of trouble, at least by speeding up access to specialists and diagnostic tests. Feel free to discuss and share your experiences with the healthcare system in your respective autonomous communities!
