Waiting lists too long in Spain

Seventy-four per cent of citizens in the Valencia Region are unable to get an appointment with their family doctor overnight in public health centres. One in ten have to wait two weeks to access a visit.

Those are the results from a survey of the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU).

The survey showed that 66% of the 4,000 citizens questioned are satisfied with primary care and public health emergency care.

Of the respondents, 94% had visited a health centre in the last year and more than half had undergone emergency at least once.

Appointment waiting times varied across Spain; in Asturias 62% of patients got an appointment overnight, compared to the Balearic Islands at just 20%.