Waiting up to four months for a specialist appointment: here’s how it could possibly go faster
Published on 25 April, 2025
Anyone wanting a consultation with a specialist needs to be very patient. That’s shown by new research from consumer organization Testaankoop. On average, patients wait 81 days – almost three months – before they can see a cardiologist, pulmonologist, or psychiatrist. And with some specialists you even have to wait longer, although there are ways to get a consultation faster.
Blurry vision? Then you’ll probably have to wait until after summer. The longest waiting times for specialists are for ophthalmologists. Belgian patients with eye problems wait on average 131 days for an appointment – that’s more than four months. Also with dermatologists (114 days) and gynecologists (112 days), the average waiting times are quite long, says General Practice professor Dirk Devroey (VUB). “There’s not just a shortage of GPs, but also of specialists. The government-imposed maximum number of students who can start the specialist medical training makes things worse.”
Flemish people wait on average 123 days – four months – for a first consultation with a dermatologist.
Long waiting times are found almost everywhere, according to the overview below from Testaankoop. You can get an appointment fastest with a radiologist, with an average wait time of ‘only’ 31 days.
This is how long you have to wait on average for an appointment with a specialist
Belgian average in number of days
Whether there’s a difference in waiting time between a hospital consultation and a private practice was not investigated by Testaankoop. Depending on where you live, things can turn out slightly better or worse, says spokesperson Laura Clays. “Here in Flanders, it takes on average 74 days – just over two months – to get to a specialist. In Wallonia, you have to be patient on average for 96 days – more than three months. The fastest, after 58 days, are patients in Brussels.”
“Flanders generally does better than average. Although the waiting list here for dermatologists (123 days) and gynecologists (122 days) is longer.” With Flemish ophthalmologists (118 days), for example, you’re up faster again.
For a truly urgent consultation, the GP will personally call a specialist to make an appointment
— Dirk Devroey, professor of General Practice, VUB
Are these overall waiting times too long to be acceptable? Devroey: “Well, it makes a difference whether you want to see a dermatologist for the annual check of black spots, or for a suddenly severe case of eczema.”
46 days of waiting for a medical exam
Also for medical tests you often have to queue up, even after having seen a GP. The average waiting time for a biopsy, scan, or specific measurement is 46 days. But differences between exams are big. A simple X-ray can usually still be done within 20 days, but for a mammogram the wait is on average 76 days. Imagine you’ve just felt a lump in your breast… For an MRI – to detect tumors, cysts or arthritis, for example – the average wait is 49 days.
This is how long you have to wait for an exam
Number of days
Waiting 58 days for a heart test – an electrocardiogram – is long when you fear your ticker could suddenly stop, right? “For truly urgent consultations where health is at risk – think of possible cancers or an imminent heart attack – the GP will arrange a fast appointment by calling the specialist or their practice directly. He must of course be able to justify that. The GP can also refer the patient to emergency care or start treatment himself.”
For some people, this means they continue to suffer from symptoms longer. That’s not only frustrating, but sometimes downright dangerous
— Laura Clays, spokesperson Testaankoop
Just like with consultations, waiting times for medical exams are also much higher in Wallonia (63 days) than in Flanders (38 days) and Brussels (37 days). “These differences show that access to healthcare is not equal in Belgium,” says Laura Clays from Testaankoop. “For some people, this means walking around with complaints for longer, or that their diagnosis is delayed. That’s not only frustrating, but sometimes even downright dangerous.”
This is how it could go faster
For urgent matters, you can ask your GP to make an appointment, which usually does save some time. However, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a private consultation, with a (partially) non-conventioned doctor who charges extra for it, according to Devroey. “Some doctors really operate with two types of appointments, where they charge a supplement for urgent consultations. I do have my reservations about that. That way you get two-speed healthcare, where those who can or want to afford it are helped faster.”
What about examinations outside office hours? “That patients are lying under expensive MRI scanners and other specialized imaging equipment at 11 p.m., or even in the middle of the night, is already quite common. In itself, that’s a useful deployment of that equipment, but often supplements are charged for that too.”
Searching yourself
So is it worth it to look for a specialist yourself somewhere in the country? Among other options, via the online appointment platform Doctena, you can directly dive into the agendas of more than 5,000 Belgian GPs, dentists, dermatologists, gynecologists, and many other healthcare professionals. “With a smart search function, you can instantly see all available appointment options, including possible last-minute ones,” explains CEO Alain Fontaine. “Patients can also opt to receive notifications when new time slots become available — often within just a few days — giving them faster access to care than through traditional systems.”
An online appointment agenda is a good thing for those wanting to quickly visit a cardiologist or dermatologist for the first time. Personally, however, I prefer to choose someone based on something other than just their calendar
— Dirk Devroey, professor of General Practice, VUB
We ourselves were able to book an appointment through Doctena on Thursday morning for that same evening with a cardiologist in Leuven — at 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. For a suspicious skin spot, we could, if we wanted, still see exactly one dermatologist in Antwerp on Friday at 2 p.m. With all other dermatologists on the platform, the wait was weeks or even months. “This is a good thing for those wanting to quickly visit a cardiologist or dermatologist for the first time,” says Devroey. “Personally, however, I prefer a recommended doctor, or choose someone based on something other than just their calendar.”