Cyprus’ Audit Office has released Special Report EE-EY 06/2026 detailing a surprise hospital emergency visit at the Accident and Emergency Departments of Nicosia and Limassol general hospitals, which operate under the State Health Services Organisation.
Inspectors carried out the overnight visit between 23:00 and 02:00 on the night of 30 September to 1 October 2025, marking the first time the service conducted a post-midnight inspection during a public holiday.
Message from the Auditor General
According to the Auditor General, services delivered on a 24-hour basis – especially in critical sectors such as health – must maintain the same level of quality and professionalism regardless of the time of day.
He stressed that the proper functioning of emergency departments reflects the strength of the social state and must not suffer from organisational or procedural weaknesses.
Doctors present but admission gaps found
The visit confirmed the physical presence of all on-call Category A specialist doctors and their response within the required 30-minute timeframe.
However, inspectors identified serious weaknesses in patient admission procedures, with admission forms in several cases signed by trainee doctors instead of on-call specialists and without written proof of the required communication.
The report warns that this practice creates risks for patient safety as well as the legal protection of both the organisation and the doctors involved.
Neurosurgery delay raises concern
Particular concern arose from an incident in Limassol where a neurosurgical opinion from Nicosia General Hospital was requested by fax but arrived one hour and 45 minutes later, after the patient had already been transferred.
The Audit Office questioned the absence of certain critical specialties across all hospitals and referred the issue to the Health Ministry for further examination.
Scanner failure and unused new equipment
Significant findings also relate to the CT scanner at Nicosia General Hospital. On the night of the visit, the scanner was out of service due to a fault, forcing patient transfers to a private clinic for imaging.
Medical reports were issued through teleradiology by a company in Greece despite an on-call radiologist being present at the hospital, creating additional financial cost.
At the same time, a newly purchased CT scanner worth €1.5 million plus VAT, delivered in June 2025, had still not entered operation.
Teleradiology without legal framework
The report highlights the absence of a complete legal framework governing teleradiology in Cyprus.
The National eHealth Authority confirmed that no standalone regulatory system currently oversees supervision, quality standards or legal responsibility in telemedicine, although relevant legislation is under preparation.
Inspectors describe the issue as critical for both patient safety and the protection of sensitive health data.
Delayed diagnoses and overtime payments
Further concern stems from the practice of issuing radiology reports after patient discharge, with some diagnoses completed two days later.
The visit also recorded extensive overtime payments to radiologists at a rate of five euros per report, raising questions about whether current policy creates distorted incentives that could affect patient safety.
Long waiting times in emergency departments
Regarding waiting times before admission to hospital wards, the average stay reached five hours and 15 minutes in Nicosia and two hours and 49 minutes in Limassol.
In one Nicosia case, a patient remained in the emergency department for 11 hours and 28 minutes.
The Audit Office expressed reservations about practices that delay examination of non-urgent cases until morning, noting that organisational procedures do not provide for such waiting periods.
Call for immediate corrective action
The report concludes that the weaknesses identified extend beyond organisational shortcomings and directly affect the quality and safety of public healthcare services.
The Audit Office calls on the State Health Services Organisation and competent authorities to implement immediate corrective measures, strengthen oversight mechanisms, improve transparency and enhance the operational readiness of public hospitals.
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