Ibiza A&E: 11 minutes to first check, minister says

At Can Misses Hospital in Ibiza, Balearic Islands, A&E patients are first seen 11 minutes after arriving, health minister Manuela García says. She gave the figure on 27 October 2026 after Vox MP Patricia de las Heras asked what was being done to cut waits. The 11 minutes covers the first check, known as triage, not the time it takes to finish treating a patient.

Why patients are not seen in arrival order

At that first check, staff assess how serious each case is. Patients are seen according to urgency, not who arrived first. García said the most urgent cases, classed as level one, must receive immediate care. Level-four and level-five cases can wait. She acknowledged that waits are sometimes longer than she would like.

More staff, shorter case times

García said the A&E department had 24 staff for 32 authorised posts when the government took office. Staffing has since risen by 38.5%, she said, citing 34 doctors including new hires and cover for on-call shifts.

The average time to resolve a case has fallen from 9.2 to 6.5 hours, according to García. She said the government is also strengthening primary care, where most urgent cases can be treated.

Topics: Health

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com