"In hospitals, the activity in December 2020, compared to 2019, recorded a decrease in the main lines of activity, namely in hospital specialist consultations. In December 2020 there were 11.2 million consultations compared to 12.4 million in 2019," the minister said at a hearing at the parliamentary health committee.

Marta Temido said the drop in activity also extended to surgeries, with "a drop of 126,000 surgeries from the 704,000 surgeries in 2019", in addition admittances to hospital emergency services fell, ihere were 1.8 million less compared the previous year.

Also, Marta Temido admitted an increase in the number of people without a family doctor in 2020.

The Minster as well acknowledged that "There was a notable imbalance between the number of retirements and the number of new general and family medicine professionals,"