2025-08-25
Long waiting queues to see doctors are an increasingly pressing problem in the Lithuanian healthcare system. An assessment carried out by the National Audit Office shows that since 2018, the number of residents who consider long queues to be one of the most important problems in the system has increased from 55% to 73%. There is also an increase in the number of residents who do not seek medical attention when they are ill (from 37% to 45%). Even more worrying is the fact that one in three people who fall ill do not seek medical attention solely because of the queues, and 13% are unable to even register.
“If one in three people who fall ill do not seek medical attention due to long queues, this means one thing: thousands of people are left without the necessary help. They treat themselves, wait, or simply do nothing. Illnesses that are not treated in time become prolonged, complicated, and cause damage not only to health but sometimes even pose a threat to life. This situation is a clear signal that changes are needed in the healthcare system," says Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė.
Almost half of the healthcare institutions surveyed admit that services are provided with delays longer than permitted by law. The most common delays are in the provision of specialist medical services – as many as 80% of the institutions surveyed indicate that the waiting time exceeds the prescribed 30 calendar days. Twenty-nine percent of institutions say that the seven-calendar-day deadline for seeing a family doctor is not met, and 7% say that the 60-calendar-day deadline for inpatient services is not met.
A comparison of population survey data from 2018 and 2025 shows that family doctor services are becoming increasingly difficult to access. The number of patients who received services on the same day decreased from 26% to 20%, while the number of those waiting longer than 10 days increased. In 13 municipalities, more than half of the residents waited longer than 7 calendar days for family doctor services.
According to the auditors, there are noticeable disparities in access to healthcare between large cities and regions. One-third of rural residents had difficulty registering for healthcare services (22% in cities), and 34% had difficulty accessing doctors near their homes (17% in cities).
Data from the advance patient registration system also reveal differences in the availability of specialized services between municipalities: residents of Radviliškis, Jonava, Ignalina districts and Vilnius city have to wait more than 30 days for dermatovenerologist services, while residents of Šiauliai district and Elektrėnai - for gynecologist services.
“Disparities in healthcare services are still deeply rooted. Living outside the city means a longer journey to the doctor, both literally and figuratively. You also have to wait longer, and there are fewer opportunities to get help in time. This means that a person's healthcare depends not on their needs, but on where they live. We cannot tolerate this reality,” says Ms. Segalovičienė.
For more information on the results of the assessment Reducing waiting queues for personal healthcare services, please visit the NAO website at: https://www.valstybeskontrole.lt/EN/Post/18452
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