Patients in the Camp de Tarragona health region waited more than 100 days on average for a first specialist appointment in 2025, according to an analysis by Metges de Catalunya using data from the Servei Català de la Salut, CatSalut.
The union said some severe cases faced waits of 150 to 200 days. It also said these delays go beyond the regulatory deadlines, which set a 30-day limit for urgent priority cases and 90 days for ordinary priority cases.
In Tarragona, ear, nose and throat specialists had the longest average wait, at 188 days in December 2025. Orthopaedic specialists averaged 123 days, while ophthalmology stood at 93 days. Urology and digestive system specialists also saw average waits close to 120 days during the year, although both reduced their waiting lists over 2025.
Metges de Catalunya vice-president Pep Serra said the average waiting time indicator can be misleading because it does not show how individual cases vary. He said some patients may wait two days and others 60, so case-by-case analysis is also needed.
The union said the system still performs well for serious conditions across Catalonia. For oncological operations, such as those for neoplasms, interventions took an average of 21 days, below the 45-day limit set by regulations. Serra said this is partly because patients are referred to reference hospitals, which can affect territorial equity but produces good results in terms of response times.
Metges de Catalunya also reviewed common operations. Cataract surgery had an average wait of 75 days, with a maximum period of 180 days. Waiting times for knee and hip prostheses, and breast reconstruction surgery, were also described as acceptable, although those lists grew over the year. Xavier Lleonart, the union's general secretary, criticised the Department of Health for not carrying out a deeper analysis of waiting lists and said open data alone is not enough for full transparency. More Catalonia news
