Madrid health minister defends waiting-list integrity amid surgeon's accusations
The Madrid health councilor denied claims that patient waiting lists at Hospital Ramón y Cajal were deliberately altered, launching an internal review after a surgeon raised the issue.
During the presentation of the 2026 ConSalud award, Madrid health councilor Fátima Matute publicly refuted accusations that the Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal manipulated its surgical waiting lists, labeling the claims as a malicious attack on the region's healthcare excellence. She referenced the 804/2016 order that sets equitable list-management rules and announced that an internal information dossier has been opened to review the system.
The controversy originated from El País reports that two senior physicians reduced the priority of 57 orthopaedic trauma patients, shifting them from a preferred to a normal category to stay within statutory time limits. The allegations were supplied by surgeon Alberto Martos, who previously appealed to hospital management without response and is currently under a disciplinary sanction for alleged “inverse harassment.”
Sources describe the episode as part of an ongoing personal rivalry with department chief Basilio José de la Torre Escuredo, which includes prior disciplinary records and alleged vandalism of the chief's vehicle. Martos admitted to using aggressive language in emails but maintains his actions were meant to protect clinical criteria. The health ministry emphasized technical rigor and pledged to ensure equitable treatment for all patients, including those from outside the region.
Why it matters
The dispute raises questions about transparency and fairness in public hospital waiting-list management.
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