[Demand for neurological services in Spain. Data for a more demanding future]

The published data on neurological resources and the demand for neurological care in Spain were reviewed. Also, this demand was analysed in a specific health district (area 11, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid).

About 2.5 neurologists per 100,000 inhabitants in Spain was estimated to practice in the National Health Service in 1998. The published demand for first outpatient neurological consultations per 1,000 inhabitants/year in the National Health Service in Spain have a range of 8-35 consultations. The same demand in the health district analyzed was 14.5 consultations per 1,000 inhabitants/year in 1996.

The demand for neurological care is high in Spain and will increase in the future mainly due to the population aging; the resources of neurologists and neurological beds would be adequate to this increasing neurological demands.