The Executive Board of the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) has rejected recommendations from the SINACC working group to shorten maximum response times for hospital appointments. The new regulations extend waiting periods for priority patients and omit a proposed seven-day triage window, drawing criticism from experts who warn of increased pressure on emergency departments. The SNS board maintains that the new rules are an improvement over previous legislation.
NHS board rejects hospital waiting time reduction proposal
Wednesday, 1 April 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
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.
SINACC (Sistema Nacional de Acesso a Consultas e Cirurgias—National System for Access to Consultations and Surgeries) is Portugal's new digital healthcare management platform replacing the outdated SIGIC system, created in 2004. Approved by the government on October 24, 2025, SINACC became operational in late 2025, with President Marcelo promulgating it on January 8, 2026.
The system is fully computerized, requiring all patient referrals to be electronic, eliminating paper-based processes. Patients can track their position on waiting lists in real time via app, website, or SNS contact center and choose between public, private, or social-sector hospitals when reaching 75% of guaranteed maximum response times for surgery. The platform uses artificial intelligence to identify anomalies—unusual pricing or suspicious list growth—addressing perverse incentives in SIGIC where longer waiting lists generated more additional-surgery revenue.
SIGIC permitted doctors in private/social sectors to refer SNS patients then operate on them in public hospitals. SINACC's strengthened incompatibility regime prevents this conflict of interest. The system also prevents physicians from cherry-picking additional surgeries, eliminating a distortion where hospitals profited from maintaining long queues.
Financed by Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) with €5 million for phase one, SINACC aims to reduce patients exceeding maximum waiting times and increase operational transparency. Implementation delays occurred due to insufficient staff training across health units, though testing in Coimbra, Alto Ave ULS, and Lisbon's Oncology Institute proceeded smoothly. The system represents a major modernization of Portugal's surgical-access governance.
