60% of patients wait beyond maximum time for specialist consultations in the SNS

Data from the Health Regulatory Authority (ERS) for the first half of 2026 shows that 59.8% of the 1,190,445 patients waiting for their first specialist hospital consultation exceeded the guaranteed maximum response time (TMRG), up from 43.7% in the previous six months. The overall surgical waiting list grew by 6.9% to 202,560 people by 30 June, with 17% waiting past the deadline. Cardiac surgery breaches also worsened to 62.5%, while priority cancer surgeries saw a slight improvement, with 19.8% waiting beyond recommended limits.