Spain's hidden hospital backlogs leave patients waiting over a year for care

In Cádiz, a colonoscopy performed in February 2025 was supposed to be followed by a routine review, yet the patient has received no appointment and the procedure report is missing from the ClicSalud portal, according to FACUA Cádiz. The hospital only acknowledged the request in February 2026 after a two-month delay in responding to a formal complaint. In a separate case, Molly Grace, injured in June 2024, spent two years on a rehabilitation waiting list that was silently cancelled, leading to missed appointments and inaccurate medical records.

Both stories illustrate how follow-up appointments and cancelled slots are excluded from the Ministry of Health’s December 2025 statistics, which record only first specialist consultations. Andalusia’s own figures show an average wait of 136 days for a first specialist visit, but there is no deadline for reviews, allowing indefinite delays. FACUA is pressing the Junta de Andalucía to guarantee timely care and transparent access to patient records. Affected patients can file complaints through the hospital’s citizen care unit or the regional health authority’s online system.