Murcia cuts healthcare waiting times below Spain’s national average

According to the latest report published by the Ministry of Health, the Region of Murcia has registered a below average waiting time for both surgical procedures and outpatient appointments in 2025. Patients treated in the Region wait an average of 18 days fewer for surgery, and 13 days fewer for outpatient consultations.

The average waiting times in Murcia, by the numbers

On average, patients treated by the Murcian Health Service wait an average of 102.76 days for surgery, compared to the national average of 121 days. On the other hand, Murcian patients wait an average of 89.33 days for outpatient consultations, compared to the national average of 102 days.

The waiting times have also been decreasing steadily over the year. Wait times for surgeries decreased an average of 4.39 compared to one year prior, whereas wait times for specialist appointments decreased by an average of 7.67 days. Finally, wait times for diagnostic tests decreased by 3.29 days compared to 2024.

Reductions in waiting times for several areas of the medical field

Medical areas that have experienced the most significant decrease in waiting times are Rehabilitation, Pulmonology and Ophthalmology in outpatient consultations. The figures have also improved in the Pediatric Surgery, General Surgery, and Urology areas. 

Non-Face-to-Face Interconsultation, which involves the healthcare professional reviewing, advising, or managing the care of a patient without the patient being physically present, also increased by 27,879 consultations in the past year, helping to carry out appointments more swiftly and helping patients to avoid unnecessary travel.

During 2025, the Region of Murcia’s hospitals performed a total of 127,052 surgical procedures, of which 14,577 were urgent and the rest were scheduled. In addition, 2.4 million face-to-face consultations were carried out during the year, including first visits and check-ups, in hospitals of the regional public system.

Spain’s national waiting list

This information is reported after the State Observatory for Dependency revealed that there are still 271,556 people on the waiting list for care on a national scale, which is 13,389 more than at the end of 2025. Conversely, the Ministry of Social Rights sets the figure at 152,249 people, excluding those who have been waiting for fewer than six months, the period established by law.

The observatory estimates that of these people on the waiting lists, 118,716 are awaiting assessment and 152,840 are still waiting for benefits and services to which they are entitled. It also estimates that at this rate, it would take a whopping 86 years to fully eliminate the waiting list.