Murcia health service slashes hospital waiting times

The Murcia health authority reported that average waiting times for specialist outpatient appointments fell by 19.5 days to 69.8 days in the first half of 2026, the lowest level since 2020. Surgical waiting times also dropped by eight days to an average of 94.6 days, with the number of patients on the surgical list reduced by 9,241 compared with the end of the previous year. Over the January‑June period the service delivered more than 1.3 million specialist consultations and processed 331,593 diagnostic tests, with the biggest improvements seen in pulmonology, general surgery and dermatology.

Health Councilor Isabel Ayala highlighted the launch of an integral plan, begun in 2022, to further reduce and optimise waiting lists. The plan targets high‑urgency procedures, sets maximum guaranteed times for certain interventions and aims to equalise access across the region. Specific specialties with the largest surgical backlogs include traumatology, ophthalmology and general digestive surgery, together accounting for about two‑thirds of pending cases.