According to UGT data, the average wait for a CT scan at the Regional University Hospital of Málaga is 111 days, and for an ultrasound, it is 101. The maximum wait reaches 684 days in the case of the CT scan.
The UGT union section at the Regional University Hospital of Málaga has reported on Tuesday the high delays that patients suffer to undergo essential diagnostic tests. According to data provided by the union, as of July 15, 2026, the average wait for a CT scan is 111 days, while for an ultrasound or MRI, it rises to 101 days. The simple X-ray is the test with the longest average delay: 166 days.
However, the most alarming figures are those of the maximum recorded delays. In the case of the ultrasound, a patient has waited up to 496 days; for the CT scan, 684 days; for the X-ray, 836 days; and for the MRI, 660 days. These figures, according to UGT, come from the corporate system of the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) and reflect a situation of "extreme healthcare pressure."
Concha Quintana Tejada, secretary of Organisation of the UGT union section at the Regional Hospital, explained that "the difference between the average demand and the maximum is alarming, as in all cases the latter multiplies the average by approximately five or six, indicating an accumulation of requests in specific periods, saturation of schedules, insufficient technical and human resources, and the risk of diagnostic delays."
The four tests —CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, and X-ray— are fundamental for diagnosing diseases such as tumors, strokes, spinal injuries, abdominal pathologies, or fractures. In total, there are 4,815 people waiting for an MRI; 4,382 for an X-ray; 3,628 for a CT scan; and 2,299 for an ultrasound, according to UGT data.
"There is a structural overload that directly affects the quality of care," Quintana stated.
The union warns that peaks in demand compromise the service's ability to absorb requests in a timely manner, directly affecting the care of patients with urgent or priority conditions. "The extreme variability in workload increases the likelihood of errors, especially in high-complexity tests like the CT scan or MRI," the union leader pointed out.
Moreover, the sustained pressure impacts "psychosocial risks, work fatigue, deterioration of working conditions, and increased operational stress during critical shifts." According to UGT, professionals in the Radiodiagnosis Service "operate above their actual capacity, with a structure that does not correspond to the volume of activity they must undertake."
The Regional Hospital, dependent on the SAS, was consulted by this newspaper regarding the data and possible measures to alleviate the waiting lists. The healthcare complex responded that "the data provided does not match the official records" of the centre, although it did not provide those official records.
The four tests are included in Annex III of Decree 96/2004 of the Junta de Andalucía, which establishes a maximum response time of 30 days for diagnostic procedures registered in the corresponding Demand Registry of Diagnostic Procedures of the Public Health System of Andalucía. UGT demands an immediate reinforcement of technical and medical staff, the extension of hours and shifts in the most strained modalities, the updating of the technological park, and an emergency plan to reduce the "extreme variability" of demand.
"The data confirms an unprecedented diagnostic saturation situation at the Regional Hospital. The public must know that professionals are sustaining the service under conditions of extreme pressure and that immediate intervention is essential to guarantee the quality of care and the safety of patients and workers," Quintana concluded.
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