Hospitals across Catalonia are seeing a sharp rise in waits for first specialist appointments. The average delay is now approaching 120 days, almost a month longer than three years ago. The situation is most severe in Vallès, where hospitals in Sabadell and Terrassa have recorded some of the steepest increases in the autonomous community; Granollers is also among the affected cities. At Parc Taulí in Sabadell, patients now wait an average of 314 days for a specialist, up from 212 days in mid-2023. Some residents wait more than 10 months for an initial consultation, far exceeding the 90-day reference limit set by the Generalitat.
The crisis is particularly acute in certain specialties. Urology at Parc Taulí now has a waiting time of 694 days, nearly two years, while traumatology patients face an average delay of 383 days. The number of people on the traumatology waiting list has nearly tripled since 2023, rising from 5,702 to 14,714. Otolaryngology waits have also increased, from 184 to 327 days. Hospital management attributes part of the surge to problems with list registration. Some patients had remained on the list since 2019, and a recent review has helped correct some distortions. The hospital says it has increased activity and expects to end the year with no patients waiting more than 14 months for a first visit.
Other major hospitals in Vallès are also struggling. At Hospital General de Granollers, the average wait has climbed from 105 to 189 days. Hospital de Terrassa has seen delays rise from 125 to 186 days. These facilities now rank among those with the largest increases in waiting times in Catalonia. The CC OO union identifies two basic factors behind the problem: a shortage of specialists and a rapidly aging population. The Institut d’Estadística de Catalunya (Idescat) counted 8,124,126 residents in its 2025 population table. That included 1,356,476 people aged 65 to 84, alongside 82,140 aged 85 or older. Together, the two age groups account for more than 1.43 million residents, a demographic context relevant to demand for specialist and chronic-disease care.
The Catalan government acknowledges the need to ease pressure on hospitals and is focusing on strengthening primary care. Plans include increasing the capacity of local health centers (CAP) to resolve more cases without referring patients to hospital specialists, as well as expanding virtual consultations between primary care and specialist services. In the Barcelona metropolitan area, the picture is mixed. Sant Pau hospital has seen its average wait for a first visit rise by 32.8% (from 76 to 101 days), while Vall d’Hebron’s wait has risen by 8.8% (from 101 to 110 days). At Moisès Broggi-Hospitalet, the increase was 3.3% (from 84 to 87 days). Some major centers have cut delays: Clínic by 5.2% (from 72 to 69 days), and Bellvitge by 10.8% (from 53 to 48 days). Germans Trias recorded a 51.7% reduction (from 123 to 59 days). The hospital attributes the improvement to new protocols with primary care and replacing some in-person visits with remote consultations.
Despite the worsening situation for first specialist appointments, waits for diagnostic tests have remained stable, averaging 79 days in 2026, compared with 82 days in 2023. The official maximum is 90 days for routine tests and 30 days for urgent cases. Surgical waits have also risen moderately: the average delay for scheduled operations increased from 76 to 85 days, a 12% jump. The reference time is 90 days for urgent cases and 180 days for medium-priority cases. For low-priority cases, it is 365 days.
Delays in Catalonia’s healthcare system extend beyond hospitals. Public services in other sectors have also faced criticism over slow response times and outdated infrastructure. Foreign visitors using Barcelona’s Rodalies train network, for example, have reported frequent delays and overcrowding, as highlighted in a recent report on transport challenges for tourists in Catalonia. These issues reflect broader strains on public services as the region’s population ages and demand for care rises.
Spain’s healthcare system is publicly funded and provides universal coverage, but regional management means waits can vary widely. Catalonia, with its large and aging population, faces particular challenges in recruiting and retaining medical specialists. The Generalitat has made reducing waiting times a priority, but demographic trends and workforce shortages continue to put pressure on hospitals and clinics. As the population over 65 grows, demand for specialist care is expected to remain high.
