Did you know that more than one in ten patients who need to see a specialist in the United Kingdom (UK) wait longer than a year to get an appointment? Or that in Slovenia, patients face a wait of nearly two years — 667 days — just for a hip replacement?
The figures come from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Health at a Glance 2025 report, showing one of Europe's most pressing public health policy challenges: waiting times.
These may be among the worst figures in Europe. But the waiting crisis runs far deeper than two countries.
“Postponing the expected benefits of treatment means that patients continue living with pain and disability for longer than they need to and may worsen health outcomes for patients after the intervention,” the report said.
So which European countries keep patients waiting the longest? How serious is the problem across the continent? And how long do patients actually have to wait for surgery?
