Over a million Israelis waited more than a month to see a specialist, new health data reveals

More than one million Israelis have waited over a month to see a specialist, according to a social survey by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. The troubling figures highlight significant strain on the country’s healthcare system, with over 300,000 people waiting more than three months for specialist appointments. The data paints a picture of a health service struggling to cope with demand, raising fresh questions about access to care and treatment delays across the country.

The survey found that 61 per cent of people visiting emergency rooms complained about waiting times, suggesting widespread frustration with NHS-equivalent services. Meanwhile, approximately one quarter of the public expressed concerns about the quality of hospital care, indicating broader dissatisfaction with Israel’s healthcare provision. These negative perceptions are likely fuelled by the lengthy waits many patients experience before receiving specialist treatment.

In response to the delays, some 1.2 million Israelis have turned to private medicine, primarily to bypass the queuing system entirely. The shift towards private healthcare suggests that those with financial means are opting out of the public system, which risks creating a two-tier healthcare structure where wealthier patients receive faster treatment. This trend reflects a loss of confidence in the public health system’s ability to deliver timely care.

The findings underscore longstanding challenges facing Israel’s healthcare infrastructure, including staff shortages, resource constraints, and growing demand from an expanding population. Health officials will face mounting pressure to address the bottlenecks in specialist services and emergency departments, as well as restore public confidence in hospital standards.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.