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Waiting lists drag down public healthcare perception: 81% believe the problem has worsened or stayed the same
🇪🇸 Spain /Health & Science

Waiting lists drag down public healthcare perception: 81% believe the problem has worsened or stayed the same

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Spanish public healthcare satisfaction remains low, with a global rating of 6.16 out of 10, a slight improvement from previous lows but still below pre-pandemic levels.
  • Long waiting lists are a major concern, with 38% of citizens reporting worsening times and 43% seeing no change in the past year.
  • Citizens find wait times for specialists, diagnostic tests, and scheduled surgeries unacceptable, with a majority believing authorities are not addressing the issue.

Spanish public healthcare is struggling with low citizen satisfaction, despite a minor uptick in its overall rating. The system scored 6.16 out of 10 in the latest CIS health barometer, a slight increase from 6.02 but significantly lower than the 72% positive perception recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.

the waiting lists continue to be the main focus: 38% of those surveyed believe that, in the last 12 months, the waiting lists have worsened and 43% consider that the problem remains the same.

— CIS barometerReporting on public perception of healthcare waiting times in Spain.

Waiting lists continue to be the primary source of public discontent. Nearly 38% of Spaniards surveyed in March reported that waiting times have worsened over the last 12 months, while an additional 43% believe the situation has remained the same. Only 10% of respondents indicated any improvement.

The perception of unacceptable delays is widespread. Almost 70% of citizens deem the wait for specialist appointments too long, with similar concerns for diagnostic tests (62%) and scheduled surgeries (55%). Even primary care wait times are considered unreasonable by 48% of the population. A prevailing sentiment is that health authorities are inactive in resolving these issues.

the majority of citizens see little or nothing acceptable about waiting times in public healthcare.

— CIS barometerDescribing public opinion on healthcare delays in Spain.

While emergency services (061/112) and hospital care received notable scores above 7, specialist consultations lagged with a just-passing grade of 5.8. Accessibility remains a critical problem, with the majority of citizens feeling that the current wait times are not acceptable.

the perception is that health authorities are not doing anything to resolve this situation.

— CIS barometerHighlighting public belief about the inaction of health authorities in Spain.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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