More than half a million patients were waiting, in December 2022, for the first consultation of the specialty in a public hospital, at the request of a health centre, with almost half waiting longer than the regulated time, it was announced today.
The data are from the Health Regulatory Entity (ERS) and are contained in information on the monitoring of waiting times in the National Health Service (SNS) in the second half of 2022, in particular in the first hospital consultations and in surgical activity.
According to the ERS, on December 31, there were 581.909 users waiting for the first consultation of the specialty in a hospital of the SNS, at the request of a doctor at a health center, with almost half (47%) of these users waiting for the consultation over time maximum allowed.
In these consultations, cardiology consultations and consultations with suspected or confirmed oncological disease were excluded.
In all, in the second half of last year, 605.035 first hospital specialty consultations were carried out at the request of health centers, representing an increase of 13% compared to the same period in 2021.
However, the waiting time was exceeded in about 43% of the queries made.
In a note to the media, ERS points out that, due to “constraints arising from the computer systems” of the hospitals, the first consultations of the specialty carried out at the request of the hospitals were not considered in the analysis.
According to ERS data, at the end of the second half of last year, 1.258 people were waiting for their first hospital appointment with suspected or confirmed cancer, with the majority (70%) waiting longer than the regulated time.
In the same period there was a 14% increase in these consultations, to a total of 9.301, compared to the second half of 2021, but the maximum waiting time was exceeded in about 46% of the consultations carried out.
On December 31, 6.923 cancer patients were waiting for surgery, with the wait exceeding the legal limit in 24% of cases.
In the second half of 2022, 29.540 scheduled cancer surgeries were performed – 3% more compared to the same period in 2021 – but around 22% of the patients operated on were treated with waiting times longer than those defined by law.
In the specialty of cardiology, 15.406 patients were waiting for their first consultation in a hospital on December 31, with the majority (85%) waiting longer than the regulated time.
A total of 2.880 heart patients were waiting to be operated on, and for half (51%) the time defined by law for the surgery had been exceeded.
Between June and December 2022, 19.587 first cardiology consultations were held in SNS hospitals – an increase of 12% compared to the second half of 2021 – but the waiting time was exceeded in the vast majority of consultations (about 89%).
ERS indicates that 4.093 scheduled heart surgeries were performed – a decrease of 1% compared to the second half of 2021 – and that, in 28% of cases, the waiting time was exceeded.
Excluding cardiac and oncological surgeries, 254.205 scheduled surgeries were performed in public hospitals in the second half of 2022 – an increase of 4% compared to the same period in 2021 – but around 11% of patients had to wait above the legal limit.
On December 31, however, 189.358 patients were still waiting for a scheduled surgery, 23% of which had a wait longer than the maximum regulated time.
The Health Regulatory Entity also concluded that in health centers the waiting time was exceeded by between 13,6% and 23,8% in home consultations and between 2,4% and 10,4% in requests for renewal of medication.
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