The Executive Directorate has extended the waiting time limit for very high-priority scheduled surgeries from 15 to 30 days, a move intended to increase patient coverage but one that faces criticism from medical professionals regarding the strain on the National Health Service.
Scheduled surgeries: Very high-priority patients may have to wait longer
Thursday, 2 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
The Ordem dos Médicos is Portugal’s professional medical association that registers doctors, enforces ethical rules and can discipline members. It issues formal opinions and can challenge health policies or laws, so its objections matter when a programme like the Waitlist Recovery Programme changes how patients are referred or treated.
FNAM is the National Federation of Doctors (Federação Nacional dos Médicos), a trade‑union and professional organisation that represents physicians across Portugal. It frequently engages in advocacy and legal actions — here it says it will ask the Ombudsman to request a constitutional review because it believes the regional emergency services statute harms doctors' work.
AI Summary AvailableVery high-priority surgery wait times extended to 30 daysRead the synthesized summary with context and explainers
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