In information released regarding the monitoring of waiting times in the National Health Service (SNS) in the first half of this year, the ERS says that 34,439 scheduled surgeries were carried out in the area of ​​oncology in public hospitals (+12.2% compared to the same period).

The regulator cites an increase in the percentage of defaults in waiting times of around 3.1 percentage points, rising from 19.3% in the first half of 2023 to 22.4% this year.

According to ANEEL, on June 30, 7,127 patients were waiting for scheduled surgery in the oncology area, which corresponds to an increase of 1.1% compared to the same period last year, with 16.7% waiting longer than the Maximum Time Response Guaranteed (TMRG).

Regarding scheduled heart disease surgeries, 4,891 were performed in public hospitals, which corresponds to an increase of 2.9% compared to the first half of 2023.

However, more than one in three patients undergoing heart surgery (33.2%) were treated outside the legally defined maximum times, an increase of 1.5 p.p. in relation to the same period.

On June 30, 2,502 users were awaiting heart surgery (-5.5%), more than half of whom (55.2%) had already exceeded the TMRG.

Excluding oncological and cardiac surgeries, in the 1st half of the year, 293,085 surgeries were performed in public hospitals, which corresponds to an increase in activity of 5.1% compared to the same period last year. Around 13.5% of patients waited longer than legally defined.

According to ERS, the percentage of non-compliance with maximum waiting times increased by 2.3 p.p. in the first half of the year, going from 11.2% to 13.5%.