Waiting lists for surgery in the Community of Madrid increased by 1% in September.

Waiting lists for specialist visits, surgery, or diagnostic tests in the Community of Madrid continued to grow in September, exceeding one million pending appointments for the second consecutive month, with a new record for patients waiting for surgery. Specifically, at the end of September, the three lists had a total of 1,030,822 pending appointments, a figure that represents 10,353 more than in August (+1.01%), although with a 4% drop in the last year (-42,952 fewer Madrid residents), according to official data from the Ministry of Health, consulted by Europa Press. Read also Madrid boasts of being the region with the shortest waiting time for surgery. SERVIMEDIA In the ninth month of the year, the 100,000 pending appointment mark for surgery was surpassed for the first time. Specifically, a record 101,459 pending appointments were set. Overall, all three have gained weight in the last month, due in part to the carryover effect of the summer season, when scheduled activity tends to decrease due to professionals' vacations. In any case, the total number of patients waiting in line is not the same, as the same person can be in more than one of them simultaneously. Specifically, there was a 3.02% increase in surgical lists, a 0.78% increase in outpatient consultations, and a 0.86% increase in diagnostic tests. Waiting times for diagnostic tests are reduced However, waiting times in all of them have decreased compared to August. Specifically, they have decreased by 6.5 days for an operation, to 58.9 days; they have decreased by 2.07 days for outpatient consultations, to 76.76 days; and they have decreased by 1.58 days for an initial diagnostic test, to 72.03 days. Year-on-year, in September, there was a 2.99% increase in pending surgery appointments, although the average wait time fell by 0.86 days. However, it fell for specialist appointments (-4.46%) or initial diagnostic tests (-5.68%). Regarding average wait times, it decreased by 3.07 days for diagnostic tests and increased by 0.41 days for outpatient consultations. Read also Every 15 minutes, a dependent person dies on the waiting list, according to Directors and Managers of Social Services. Europa Press In detail, the surgical waiting list in the Community closed September with a total of 101,459 pending appointments, an increase of 13.02% compared to August (+2,980) and an increase of 2.99% compared to the ninth month of 2023 (+2,955). The average wait time was 58.9 days, which is 6.5 days less than in August and 0.86 compared to the same month in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Health consulted by Europa Press. Of the total, the waiting list in the category called 'structural', whose wait is attributable to the organization and available resources, had 80,999 pending appointments (79.83%), while another 13,093 were due to referral rejection (12.9%) and the remaining 7,367 corresponded to temporarily unschedulable operations (7.26%). At the end of September, 2.22% of patients on the structural surgery waiting list (1,797 people) were waiting for an operation for more than six months (more than 180 days), compared to 1,346 who were waiting a month earlier (1.77%). Between three and six months Another 25.43% expected to wait between three and six months (20,596 compared to 19,027 in August), while another 14.81% expected to wait between two and three months (11,996 compared to 16,876 the previous month). Finally, 14.3% took between one and two months (11,580 compared to 18,186 in August) and 43.12% took between 0 and 30 days (34,927 compared to 20,392 a month earlier). In the case of referral rejection, the average delay was 127.27 calendar days, with 30 patients (0.23%) waiting more than 360 days. Regarding the outpatient waiting list, in September it had 743,628 people, i.e., 5,776 more than a month ago (+0.78%), although 34,716 fewer than a year ago (-4.46%). In this case, the average delay was 76.76 days, a decrease of 2.07 days compared to August and an increase of 0.41 compared to the same month last year. Facade of the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, July 27, 2025, in Madrid (Spain). Ricardo Rubio - Europa Press / Europa Press Of the total, 443,433 patients had a delay of more than 90 days (465,875 in August); 95,629 had a delay of between 61 and 90 days (compared to 96,039 in the eighth month); 94,439 had a delay of between 31 and 60 days (77,192 a month earlier); and 110,127 had a delay of less than a month (98,746 had a delay of 30 days). In the case of the structural waiting list for initial diagnostic and therapeutic testing, at the end of the ninth month of the year it consisted of 185,735 Madrid residents, with 1,597 more people in the last month (+0.86%) but with a year-on-year drop of 5.68% (-11,191). Waiting times were 75.03 days, which is 1.58 days less than in August and a decrease of 3.07 days compared to the same month last year. In this case, the average delay was more than 90 days for 95,548 people (98,318 in August); between 61 and 90 days for 16,242 (19,216 a month earlier); between 31 and 60 days for another 26,603 (26,380 thirty days earlier); and less than a month for 47,342 (40,224 in the eighth month). Related to population growth According to the regional councilor, Fátima Matute, this increase is related to the region's population growth, which also serves a significant population of residents from other provinces. Along the same lines, sources from the Regional Ministry have emphasized to Europa Press the reduction in average wait times in September and have underlined that the Community is the region with the shortest wait times for surgery. Specifically, according to data from the Ministry of Health as of December 31, 2024, the Community is the region with the shortest wait times for surgery: 48 days, compared to the national average of 126 days, i.e., 78 days less. "Madrid continues to record the best surgical waiting list data in Spain and continues to work intensively to improve consultation and testing times. In any case, over the past few years, the evolution of the three waiting lists in the Community of Madrid has shown a positive trend, the result of active management and continuous monitoring," noted the department headed by Fátima Matute.