The Waiting Time in Hospital Emergencies in 2023
Waiting time in public hospital emergency rooms in 2023 was a topic of ongoing interest. According to a study carried out by the ACN based on Health data, it was observed that patients waited an average of 62 minutes per visit. Despite a slight reduction of two minutes compared to the previous year, this waiting time is still significantly higher than that recorded a decade ago.
The wait varies between the different hospitals, highlighting some with longer times such as the Hospital del Mar, with 114 minutes, and the Hospital residence Sant Camil (Garraf), with 104 minutes. In contrast, other hospitals have drastically reduced waiting times, such as Bellvitge Hospital, from 130 minutes in 2019 to 55 last year.
Regarding the eight hospitals managed by the Catalan Health Institute (ICS), the average waiting time in 2023 was 62.4 minutes, an improvement on the 40 minutes recorded in 2010.
Factors that influence waiting times
The growing demand is one of the main factors contributing to the saturation of hospital emergencies, as pointed out by the director of the Emergency Service at Hospital de Sant Pau, Mireia Puig. This upward trend in demand, especially among the elderly population, tests the ability of hospitals to deal with it adequately.
Analysis of waiting times throughout the year reveals seasonal variations, with winter months showing longer waits. The pressure on emergency services is more noticeable during this period, with a higher volume of activity and more hospital beds being occupied.
Comparison between Hospitals
Waiting times vary considerably between hospitals, with extreme cases such as Hospital del Mar averaging 114 minutes in 2023. In contrast, some centers such as Hospital de Bellvitge have managed to significantly reduce these waiting times.
The eight hospitals managed by the ICS also show an improvement in waiting times since 2010, although they are still above that year’s levels.
Severity Levels and Waiting Time
Analysis by level of severity shows that patients with level 2 emergencies, considered very urgent, have the lowest waiting times, with an average of 52.8 minutes. In contrast, level 4 emergencies, less critical, have longer average wait times of 65.7 minutes.
Challenges and Recommendations
According to Mireia Puig, the main challenge for emergency services is to implement more efficient organizational models to minimize income and streamline the flow of patients. This requires an additional effort by the administration to understand the current needs of these services and improve them accordingly.
It also highlights the importance of users understanding the complexity of emergencies and making appropriate use of primary and continuing care services, reducing the pressure on hospitals and improving the distribution of healthcare resources.
