Authority admits mistake – cancer patient died after six months of waiting

A preventable end: waiting time with fatal consequences

In Palma a case is causing quiet outrage and many questions: a patient who died of cancer in July 2023 had reportedly waited months for a specialist appointment. The health authority IB-Salut has now admitted that mistakes were made in this case and that the family should receive compensation.

How it happened

According to records, the family doctor referred the man to the gastroenterology department at Son Espases hospital on 5 May 2022. However, he did not get an appointment with the specialist until 15 November 2022. In the meantime, the man sought help repeatedly: at least nine doctor visits for persistent stomach problems, a fainting episode in the street and an emergency room visit — none of this resulted in the specialist appointment being moved forward.

When the specialist finally examined him, the tumor had already advanced so far that only palliative measures were possible. The authority's report highlights that the patient lost around twelve kilos in half a year — a warning sign that apparently was not given sufficient consideration.

IB-Salut accepts responsibility, family demands more

The authority acknowledges a delay in diagnosis and a resulting loss of treatment opportunities. As a proposal to settle the matter, IB-Salut suggests a payment of around €60,000 to the widow and the two children. The family considers this insufficient and demands €230,000 in pain and suffering compensation for the emotional damage suffered.

The medical report stresses that some cancers have long silent phases and that diagnoses can be difficult. Nevertheless, it states clearly: had the specialist appointment taken place earlier, other options would have been conceivable. That is bitter and stark.

A broader problem on the island

The case is not isolated in Mallorca. Many patients report long waiting times with IB-Salut, especially for specialist appointments. In cafés and on market days you often hear that people take out private supplementary insurance — out of fear of such delays.

For the bereaved, the issue is now not only about money but about recognition of a failing. For society it is about trust in the health system. And for anyone currently waiting for an appointment: listen carefully, ask questions, and be persistent if necessary. Sometimes that decides treatment chances.

I spoke with a neighbour who knows Son Espases like the back of her hand — she says: the queues are often long, the atmosphere tense. Stories like this then remain in the island's memory.