Spain's public surgery waiting lists hit record highs

In Spain's public health system, waiting times for specialist consultations and surgeries have reached their worst figures of the current legislative term. In Navarra, an average of 79 days is now required for a first specialist appointment and 98 days for an operation, with 62,033 people awaiting a consultation and 9,818 awaiting surgery. In the Valencian Community, 78,306 patients are on the surgical waiting list, a 7.5% increase from the previous balance, with an average wait of 88 days. The longest departmental delays are recorded in Castelló (155 days), Alicante (137 days) and Elx (133 days). While priority is given to life‑threatening cases, the overall trend shows a significant rise in waiting periods across regions.