Health chiefs announce 15.4% reduction in surgical waiting lists that exceeded the maximum guaranteed time frame in Andalucía

The waiting list for the number of patients in Andalucía's healthcare system still awaiting surgery beyond the guaranteed timeframe has been reduced by 15.4% up to June compared to the end of 2023, as per data provided earlier this week by the Regional Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, Catalina García, after the weekly full meeting of the regional government.

The minister was briefing the Executive on the progress of the Health Guarantee Plan being rolled out by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) to reduce waiting lists. The objective is to achieve a 60% reduction by the end of the year in the number of patients awaiting surgery that has exceeded the deadlines set in the decree as a guaranteed, maximum waiting time. Similarly, a reduction of 18% in the total number of patients on surgery waiting lists. It is expected that all this will be achieved through a re-organisation of non-urgent and urgent surgical care.

Thus far in 2024 the Health Guarantee Plan has ensured that 185,000 patients have undergone surgery in Andalucía, 10% more than in 2023. Catalina García considered these figures to be a "positive" and explained that, at the end of last year, there were 53,014 patients awaiting surgery outside the guaranteed time frame compared to the 44,851 that exist now, which means 8,163 fewer patients are overdue their surgery.

García also pointed out the reduction in the average delay for these overdue operations, from 150 days in December to 141 days right now, which represents a 6% reduction.

The minister also reminded us that the total number of surgical patients still waiting within the guarantee period has been reduced by one and a half points from 142,507 in December to 140,516 today. That is 1,991 fewer patients despite the fact that more patients have been added to the waiting list than last year.

Turning to the waiting list for your first outpatient appointment with a delay of more than 60 days, those waiting has gone from 486,562 in December 2023 to the current 443,755, that is 42,807 fewer patients - a drop of 8.8%. Likewise, waiting days have decreased, from 143 in December 2023 to 134 at present,

Regarding the figures for surgical interventions this year, between January and May of this year a total of 184,866 patients underwent surgery in Andalucía for all procedures regardless of whether they were in or beyond the guaranteed period. That means 17,780 more operations than for the same period in 2023, when 167,086 (10.64% more) were registered.

In terms of procedures that happened within the guarantee period, García pointed out that the number of surgeries was 132,005, with 16,126 more interventions and an increase of 13.9% compared to 2023, when 115,879 operations were performed.