Waiting times in hospital emergency rooms exceeded the average hour in 2023
At ICS hospitals, the time between triage and medical attention remains 60% higher than in 2010, when it was 40 minutes.
Slight reduction but still far from 2010 levels
According to an ACN analysis based on Health data, emergency room patients waited an average of 62 minutes per visit in 2023.
Despite being reduced by two minutes compared to 2022, the wait is still much higher than a decade ago.
Some hospitals stand out above the rest, such as the Hospital del Mar, with 114 minutes, and the Sant Camil (Garraf) Residence Hospital, with 104, while others have cut drastically, such as the Bellvitge Hospital, with 130 minutes in 2019 to 55 last year.
Regarding the eight hospitals managed by the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS), patients waited 62.4 minutes last year, about 5 less than in 2022 but far from the 40 minutes recorded in 2010.
Small reduction in average wait time
According to data from the Department of Health, the reduction in the average waiting time in 2023 has been just under 2 minutes and stands at 61.9 minutes, more than an hour, between triage and medical attention.
However, this time is still well above the levels that existed in 2010, just before the cut in spending by the Generalitat following the economic crisis.
3.8 million hospital emergencies in 2023
In 2023, public network hospital emergencies treated 3.8 million patients, 2.2% more than the previous year.
The increase in demand has not resulted, this year, in an increase in waiting times, but in general it is one of the factors weighing the most on the saturation in emergency waiting rooms.
Factors influencing saturation
The director of the Sant Pau Hospital’s Emergency Service, Mireia Puig, points out that the increase in patients in hospital emergencies has been progressive since 2010, at a rate of 2.5% per year, and in the centers it is difficult for health services to absorb this demand because staff and spaces have not grown in the same proportion.
Another factor is the change in the profile of users, with a significant increase in the elderly, which requires higher resolution times and a higher percentage of subsequent hospital admission.
Variation in waiting times throughout the year
Waiting times vary monthly, with times of maximum activity and tension in emergency rooms during the cold months, such as December, January, February and March.
The cold months record the highest wait in 2023, coinciding with the highest backlog of emergencies.
On the other hand, months like September, despite accumulating more emergencies, have lower waiting times.
Differences in waiting times between hospitals
There are significant differences in waiting times between hospitals. Some facilities have increased waiting times, such as Hospital del Mar, while others have managed to cut them down, such as Hospital de Bellvitge.
ICS hospitals have seen a substantial increase in waiting times since 2010, with Vall d’Hebron serving the most emergencies but also having the longest waiting times.
Severity level and waiting time
The data shows a variation in waiting times depending on the level of severity of the emergencies, with the most urgent cases waiting a lower average time than the less urgent situations.
According to Mireia Puig, director of the Sant Pau Hospital’s Emergency Service, the challenge is to consolidate more modern and decisive organizational models to minimize income and generate an agile flow of patients.
It also emphasizes the need to understand hospital emergencies as a key public health service and requests an additional effort by the administration in this regard.
Finally, it highlights the importance of educating users about the complexity of emergencies and the need to go to the appropriate services in case of need.
In summary, hospital emergencies in Catalonia continue to be a critical point of the health system, with waiting times longer than desired and significant challenges to improve their efficiency and quality.
