Galicia surgical wait times rise by 20 days to 89.5-day average amid medical strikes

Regional rise in patient wait times

Average wait times across Galicia's public health service increased across all main indicators during the first half of 2026. Patients registered with the Galician Health Service (Sergas) faced an average wait of 89.5 days for surgical operations at the end of June, up 20.2 days from 69.3 days recorded in June 2025. Hospital consultation delays rose by 12.5 days to reach 69.8 days, while waits for diagnostic tests grew by 16.4 days to reach 100.1 days. The total number of patients on the surgical waitlist increased by 17.2%, rising from 48,223 in June 2025 to 57,680 at the end of the semester. Patients waiting more than six months for an operation numbered 6,117 individuals, representing 10.6% of the surgical list compared to 4.2% a year earlier.

Area variations across Galicia

The increase in surgical delays affected every health area in Galicia, though rates varied by territory. The longest surgical delays occurred in the Santiago-O Barbanza area at 116.1 days, followed by A Coruña-Cee at 91.9 days and Pontevedra-O Salnés at 90.7 days. Santiago and Pontevedra experienced the steepest increases compared to June 2025, each adding approximately one month to their average delay. Average surgical wait times reached 86 days in Vigo, 79.7 days in Ferrol, and rose by 19.9 days in Lugo, while Ourense recorded the smallest rise, moving from 61.5 days to 68.9 days. The contracted hospital Povisa in Vigo recorded a decline in surgical wait times from 53.3 days to 49.5 days. For specialist consultations, Lugo registered the highest regional delay at 111.8 days, while Ourense reduced consultation waits by 14.1 days to 52 days.

Impact of medical strikes on activity

Galician health officials attributed the decline in healthcare delivery to medical strikes against the central government's proposed reform of the Framework Statute. Regional Health Minister Antonio Gómez Caamaño, Sergas manager Luis León, and care innovation director Alfredo Silva presented the semester figures in Santiago de Compostela. The regional administration estimated that 25 strike days across six weeks led to the cancellation of approximately 215,000 medical procedures during the first half of the year. Total cancellations reached approximately 280,000 when accounting for earlier walkouts staged in December 2025. Gómez Caamaño warned about the consequences if medical unions proceed with an indefinite strike scheduled for October.

We are facing a balance with 25 days of medical strikes against the Framework Statute across six different weeks.

Prioritised care and clinical categories

Despite declines in scheduled procedures, urgent and high-priority medical interventions remained within established limits. Sergas performed more than 94,000 operations in the first half of 2026, marking a 14.2% drop compared to the same period in 2025. Urgent surgical interventions rose by 10.8% to 15,836 procedures, representing an increase of 1,539 operations. Wait times for Priority 1 surgeries averaged 22.2 days, remaining below the 30-day statutory ceiling, while Priority 2 and Priority 3 delays reached 88.7 days and 93.8 days respectively. Fast-track cancer consultations maintained an average wait time of 6.6 days, treating 567 patients compared to 490 in the first half of 2025.