Hungary faces prolonged waiting times for specialist appointments, survey finds
A recent Economx‑commissioned survey of Hungarian patients reveals that waiting for specialist appointments has become a widespread problem. Thirty‑eight percent of respondents reported longer waits than expected during the past year, and an additional 14 % experienced at least one prolonged delay. Among people aged over 60, 62 % said they had repeatedly faced long waits.
The average wait for a specialist appointment has risen to 35 days, about a week longer than a year ago. Waiting periods vary by discipline: endocrinology leads with an average of 85.4 days between request and examination, followed by dermatology (56.5 days), angiology (55 days) and cardiology (54 days). Diabetology and ophthalmology also see waits of roughly 50 days.
More than half (56 %) of surveyed health institutions blame a shortage of doctors for the growing delays, while the ageing population and rising chronic‑disease burden exacerbate the issue. Thirty‑one percent of patients said they would be willing to pay to shorten the waiting period; this willingness rises to 55 % among respondents aged 18‑39.
Entities: Economx · Elderly patients · Hungarian specialist outpatient care · Hungary · Medicina 2000
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 38% of respondents said they waited longer than expected for care in the past year. (survey of Hungarian patients)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 14% of respondents experienced at least one prolonged wait for specialist care. (same survey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 31% of respondents would be willing to pay to shorten waiting periods; the figure rises to 55% among 18‑39‑year‑olds. (same survey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Dermatology waiting time averages 56.5 days. (same survey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 62% of people over 60 reported multiple long waiting periods. (same survey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 56% of health institutions cite insufficient numbers of doctors as the main reason for increased waiting times. (same survey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The average waiting time for a specialist appointment in Hungary is now 35 days, seven days longer than a year earlier. (same survey)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Endocrinology patients wait on average 85.4 days between request and examination. (same survey)