Overview
- The association El Defensor del Paciente says it logged 14,986 complaints of alleged malpractice in 2025, including 951 cases with a fatal outcome, marking the highest totals in a decade.
- Ministry of Health data cited in the report show 832,728 people on surgical waiting lists as of June 30, 2025 with an average wait of 118 days, figures the group questions as understated.
- Diagnostic error and loss of therapeutic opportunity are identified as the leading drivers of complaints, alongside poorly performed operations, premature discharges, hospital infections and delayed ambulances.
- The report details severe outcomes including 115 newborns with disabilities linked to birth hypoxia, 31 deaths tied to ambulance delays, 30 deaths from hospital infections and 155 cases of paralysis after surgery.
- Regional tallies highlighted include Castilla y León with 858 complaints (Valladolid 306), Galicia with 734 and 42 deaths (CHUS singled out for emergency pressures), Murcia with 430 and Cantabria with 248 and 19 deaths, as the group also flags emergency-department hotspots in major hospitals nationwide and criticizes increased referrals to private providers.