Spain’s Socialist party has accused the Andalucian government of presiding over dangerous delays in the public health system.

It comes after the PSOE revealed a patient allegedly waited more than three years for a dermatology appointment linked to suspected skin cancer.

PSOE deputy Angeles Ferriz shared a referral slip issued by a health centre in Almonte, Huelva, on November 18, 2022 for a first dermatology consultation at the Infanta Elena Hospital.

The appointment was finally scheduled for May 13, 2026, representing a delay of 1,272 days.

According to the PSOE, the patient was waiting to be examined for ‘a plantar melanoma’, a particularly aggressive form of skin cancer.

‘This explains why cancer deaths have soared in Andalucia,’ Ferriz said.

‘They don’t see you, they don’t diagnose you and they don’t treat you – and sometimes it’s too late. This is the PP’s criminal policy.’

The case emerged just days before Andalucia’s regional elections on May 17 and has intensified pressure on Juanma Moreno’s PP government over the state of the region’s public healthcare system.

The PSOE has also launched attacks over mental health waiting lists in Huelva province.

Maria Marquez, the PSOE’s lead candidate for Huelva in the Andalucian elections, recently visited the Feafes-Huelva Mental Health association and claimed some patients are waiting more than a year for an initial mental health consultation.

She contrasted this with what she said was a regional average wait of four months.

‘How is it possible that someone suffering anxiety, addiction problems or even suicidal thoughts has to wait up to a year for a first appointment?’ Márquez said.

She argued the situation is deepening inequality because patients who cannot afford private treatment are effectively left without access to psychological care.

‘Those who cannot pay between €50 and €100 per private session, sometimes several times a month, simply do not have real access to treatment,’ she said.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.