Overview
- The Madrid health department says a contractor’s fault led to 500 incorrect colorectal screening letters, reported on February 5 and rectified within about a week through calls, SMS, and replacement mailings.
- Officials stress there were no diagnostic mistakes and that clinical records held the correct results, with the screening program citing more than 350,000 tests performed in 2024.
- Más Madrid and the PSOE demand Health Minister Fátima Matute’s resignation and her appearance in the Assembly, with a heated debate expected in the November 13 session.
- Pedro Sánchez used a parliamentary speech to accuse the Ayuso government of privatizing care and worsening performance, alleging extensive contracts with private providers and long waits.
- The regional government rejects those claims, asserting 90% of health spending goes to publicly run hospitals, pointing to increased budgets, Spain’s shortest surgical waits, favorable survey ratings, and optional overnight diagnostic slots without penalties.