Spain's waiting lists: PP says new rules aren't ready
Madrid, 23 October: The People's Party (PP) says Spain cannot yet approve new rules for measuring health waiting lists, leaving a 2003 rule in place. Fátima Matute, the Madrid regional government's health minister, spoke for health ministers from PP-run regions before talks with Spain's Health Ministry.
Matute said the draft still lacks a technical guide explaining how waiting times should be recorded. She said the PP was not rejecting the proposal outright, but wanted more work so every region measures its figures in the same way.
The 2003 rule measures existing waiting lists consistently across regions, Matute said, but does not cover primary care. She also accused the Health Ministry of being 10 months late in publishing new waiting-time figures. Matute suggested it might be holding them back until after elections, but offered no evidence for that claim.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com