The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), carried out the second wave of the 2023 Health Barometer. This study surveys the Spanish population about the functioning of public health.
The data shows the average wait for treatment in primary care falls to 8.57 days, almost a day less than the last barometer. Although the numbers have improved by almost ten points since February, 29.7% of Spaniards believe that waiting lists have gotten worse. More than 40% complain that it takes up to three months to see a specialist, and three in ten citizens say their health has deteriorated while waiting for another consultation.
Although waiting lists have become one of the main problems faced by Spaniards, 13.85% of respondents believe that public healthcare works “fairly well,” while 11.8% believe it “requires profound changes.” The number of people choosing public healthcare in Spain exceeds that of private healthcare, both for consultations with the family doctor and for specialized care advice.
24% experience delays of more than 11 days with their GP
The CIS survey also shows that delays for a consultation with a family doctor are more than eleven days for 24.3% of patients and eight to eleven days for 11% of Spaniards who have requested such a consultation in the last twelve months amount. Another 19% made an appointment at the health center within a week and a symbolic 0.1% made one on the same day. Between two and three days of waiting time, 25% move.
Despite these waiting times, 83% of Spaniards rate the care received as “good or very good”, 12.9% rate it as “regular” and a minority of 4% rate it as “bad or very bad”.
The majority of respondents confirmed that they were able to see a doctor if they had “a real health problem due to symptoms or illnesses already diagnosed,” although 11.5% acknowledged that they were able to do so, which is why they generally chose you decide to go to the emergency room.
Emergencies, 061 and 112, the most valued services
Citizens once again rate the emergency numbers “061” and “112” as the best-rated health services within the public health system. Care and support in the nursing sector is rated at 8.38% and the people visited have rated attendance and admission in some public hospitals in recent months with a grade of 7.33.
Specialist advice, on the other hand, has the worst rating (6.1), which may be due to the delays in making appointments.
