The issue of waiting lists has worsened for 37.9 percent of the population, increasing by four points (from 34%) compared to the same data from the previous year, although 46.4 percent report no perceived changes, as shown by the Health Barometer just published in the third and final wave of the year.
The Health Barometer, conducted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), shows that on average, when asked about the criteria that should be considered when establishing the order for non-urgent surgical interventions, medical criteria are selected by 55.2 percent, and the impact of the disease on the patient’s autonomy by 24.9 percent.
Looking at the overall Health Barometer for the year 2024, almost 80 percent of the population aged 18 and over use Primary Care services, and 83 percent of these individuals positively evaluate the care received. Regarding waiting times, 22.3 percent of patients were seen in Primary Care on the same day or the day after requesting an appointment; for the rest, the average wait time was 8.7 days.
Furthermore, 43.4 percent had visited a specialist doctor in the last year, with 81.8 percent rating the care received positively. Ten percent reported at least one admission to a public hospital in the last year, with 87.9 percent of patients positively assessing the treatment received.
Satisfaction with the Spanish public health system (whether used or not) remains stable in 2024, with a score of 6.28 out of 10, and citizens continue to show a clear preference for public centers in the four areas of care analyzed. This assessment reinforces the trend observed in 2023 and confirms the stabilization of public opinion on the National Health System following the decline recorded in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019 (6.74).
### 55% HAVE A POSITIVE OPINION OF THE SNS
Throughout the year, emergency services, both 061 and 112, along with admissions and care in public hospitals, are the most highly rated by the population, scoring 7.43 and 7.16 out of 10, respectively. In terms of Primary Care, the evaluation of consultations with family doctors in health centers reaches 6.29 points, while Primary Care emergency services receive 6.34 points.
Overall, 55% of the population has a positive opinion of the functioning of the Spanish health system, while 15.6% believe it requires significant changes. Regarding the situation of waiting lists, 47.4% believe it remains the same, 35.6% think it has worsened, and 8.3% believe it has improved.
### PUBLIC OR PRIVATE CENTERS
The Health Barometer reveals the preference of Spaniards for public healthcare. Given the choice, the majority would opt for public centers at all levels of care: Primary Care, specialized care, hospitalization, and emergency care.
This preference remains at similar levels to previous years, with 69.9 percent of the population choosing a public center for Primary Care and 56.9 percent for specialist consultations. However, there is an increase in the preference for public healthcare for hospital admissions and emergencies since the pandemic: the preference for public hospital admissions has increased from 69.8 percent in 2019 to 76.1 percent in 2024, while in emergencies, it has risen from 66.9 percent in 2019 to 72.5 percent in 2024.
Despite this clear preference for public services, specialist consultations are the area where private healthcare has the highest acceptance, with 40.1 percent of the population opting for this option.
Regarding insurance, 99 percent of those surveyed report having their healthcare covered through public funding. This percentage includes individuals affiliated with the SNS and those who belong to civil servant mutual societies, whether they use the SNS as a service provider or have a private provider, as their funding is based on public budgets in all cases.
Meanwhile, 23.2 percent mention having an individually purchased private medical insurance (either by themselves or a family member), and 9.4 percent state it is provided by their employer. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the population declaring they have private insurance.
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