Staffing and shift schedules in the SNS combine permanent doctors, residents and temporary cover (locums or overtime) arranged by each hospital's Clinical Directorate ("Direção Clínica"), which plans rotas to cover on‑call and emergency shifts. Rotas are subject to national labour rules, collective agreements and local shortages, so hospitals may use voluntary shift swaps, incentives or external contractors when regular staff are unavailable.

The Alfredo da Costa Maternity Hospital (Maternidade Alfredo da Costa) is Lisbon’s main public maternity centre and the busiest maternity within Portugal’s SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde). For residents and expectant parents it is a key referral hospital for high‑risk pregnancies and neonatal care and often handles more births and complex cases than other public units.

Hospital de São José is a major public hospital in central Lisbon, part of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central (CHULC), that provides emergency, inpatient and specialist care to the capital region. Because it is one of Lisbon’s principal hospitals, incidents such as the reported mistaken release of the wrong body draw national scrutiny and can raise concerns about procedures for patient and post‑mortem identification; patients and families using Lisbon hospitals should be aware of their rights and complaint channels.