Latest news and stories about medical services in infrastructure in Algarve, Portugal for expats and residents.
Emergency departments are facing significant overcrowding as urgent patients endure long wait times, driven by a shortage of family doctors, extreme heat, and post-holiday surges.
An IT system error caused significantly inflated emergency waiting times to be displayed for Faro and Portimão hospitals, a claim denied by the ULS Algarve health authority.
Patients at Portimão Hospital faced 16-hour wait times in the emergency department, a situation attributed to a critical shortage of temporary medical staff in the Algarve region.
Algarve hospitals are experiencing significant stretcher retention issues caused by beds being occupied by patients lacking social support, which in turn compromises emergency response times.
A public procurement process has been launched to build the new Central Hospital of the Algarve in Parque da Cidades, adjacent to the Algarve Stadium. The competitive tender marks a major step towards expanding regional healthcare capacity and modernising medical infrastructure. Located in a strategic urban area, the project is likely to strengthen access to a wider range of medical services for local residents and the expatriate community, attract investment and create construction and long-term healthcare jobs. Key issues to monitor include the procurement timeline, budget and financing structure, service mix and potential impacts on existing facilities and regional healthcare planning.
The Portuguese government approved construction of the new Central Hospital of the Algarve with a maximum budget of €426.6 million spread over 27 years and an annual cap of €50 million. Operations are expected to begin in 2031. The financing structure signals a long-term public investment approach with potential fiscal and timeline risks to monitor, while promising a significant upgrade to regional healthcare infrastructure.
The Clinical Directorate of the Algarve Local Health Unit told CM that there had been a peak in attendances.
Waiting times at the Faro and Portimão emergency departments published on Saturday by the National Health Service Portal were incorrect.
The Algarve Central Hospital project has taken another concrete step forward, with Faro and Loulé councils formally committing €1 million towards the roads, parking areas and utility networks needed to The post Algarve Central Hospital takes another step forward as councils fund access works appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Waiting times at the Faro and Portimão emergency departments published on Saturday by the National Health Service Portal were incorrect.
The president of the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS) denied this Saturday the emergency waiting times for Faro and Portimão published by the SNS Portal, attributing the figures to errors in the computer system. Speaking to Lusa, Tiago Botelho explained that the data presented by the National Health Service (SNS) portal...
A representative for ULS Algarve stressed that the times published by the SNS Portal 'do not accurately reflect' the actual situation at the Faro and Portimão emergency departments.
On Saturday, August 15, urgent patients at Faro Hospital in the Algarve faced a wait time of nearly 16 hours for their first medical consultation, according to the National Health Service (SNS) portal. Data at midday showed an average wait of 15 hours and 52 minutes for urgent cases in Faro. At Portimão Hospital, also in the Algarve, the wait for urgent patients was 4 hours and 13 minutes. Most other hospitals in the country reported average wait times of under two hours. At the Hospital de Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Barreiro, urgent patients waited 2 hours and 16 minutes, while non-urgent cases faced an average wait of 18 hours and 10 minutes. Data for Amadora-Sintra and Sintra hospitals were unavailable. Under the triage system, very urgent cases (orange) should be seen within 10 minutes, urgent cases (yellow) within 60 minutes, and non-urgent cases (green) within 120 minutes. Emergency wait times are rising again, with some exceeding 11 hours, and are expected to worsen next week.
Emergency services wait several hours for the return of stretchers. The Minister of Health says there is no shortage of stretchers.
President of the Algarve Firefighters Federation, Steven Sousa Piedade, admits that emergency services may be at risk. Firefighters are requesting more stretchers and responses from the authorities to address the problem.
A dispute has emerged over who should pay for the roads and mobility infrastructure serving the long-awaited Algarve Central Hospital, with the municipalities of Loulé and Faro rejecting suggestions they The post Algarve councils refuse to pay for central hospital access roads appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Home News Hospital in the Algarve marks 100 robotic surgeries in just over a year Hospital in the Algarve marks 100 robotic surgeries in just over a year Portimão Hospital has reached a significant milestone after completing its 100th robotic surgery, just over a year since becoming the first pub
The group's fourth unit in the Algarve will allow for 400,000 consultations, 7,500 surgeries, and 675,000 diagnostic exams annually.
INEM states that despite the helicopter's unavailability, the INEM medical team assigned to this base remains fully operational, ensuring the continuity of specialised clinical response through a VMER (Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle).
A new €60 million hospital planned for Faro aims to tackle one of the Algarve’s longstanding challenges: unequal access to healthcare compared with other parts of Portugal. The private Hospital The post New Faro hospital aims to end ‘postcode lottery’ in Algarve healthcare appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The group's fourth unit in the Algarve will allow for 400,000 consultations, 7,500 surgeries, and 675,000 diagnostic exams annually.
With these projects, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up are extended to primary healthcare, with remote clinical supervision. Sleep apnea affects more than 15% of the Portuguese adult population.
The programmes are expected to begin within three months at the Local Health Units of the Algarve and the Tagus Estuary. Obstructive sleep apnea is a chronic condition that affects more than 15% of the population.
Local officials in Monte Gordo have unveiled the coastal town’s new-look health centre, which has been renovated and expanded. The project has doubled the number of medical consultation rooms from The post Revamped health centre unveiled in Monte Gordo appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Family Health Unit will serve 7,750 patients.
Construction work has started on the €2.7 million expansion and renovation of the health centre in the eastern Algarve border town of Vila Real de Santo António. According to the The post Vila Real de Santo António health centre expansion begins appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Home Health NUMAPLUS: A New Healthcare Model for a Safer Algarve NUMAPLUS: A New Healthcare Model for a Safer Algarve At a time when medical emergencies, particularly those related to cardiovascular disease, remain one of the leading causes of death, rapid response can make the difference between
Gulf Med helicopters, in service for the INEM since July 2025, reached one thousand flight hours today as part of the Medical Emergency Helicopter Service. The milestone occurred during the 639th mission, carried out by the aircraft based in Loulé. In a statement, Gulf Med Aviation Services noted that the thousandth hour was reached at 10:20 during a mission transporting a 49-year-old patient from Alcoutim to Faro Hospital. Since July 1, 2025, the four Airbus H145 helicopters have completed 639 missions and transported 387 patients. CEO Simon J. Camilleri highlighted the commitment of the teams and the use of modern, purpose-built aircraft.
Portugal’s Competition Authority (AdC) has approved private healthcare provider CUF’s acquisition of a 75% stake in the Hospital Particular do Algarve (HPA) private health group under the condition that CUF The post CUF gets green light to buy HPA – but it must build new hospital in Algarve appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The Competition Authority (AdC) approved, subject to remedies, the purchase of a 75% majority stake in Hospital Particular do Algarve (HPA) by CUF. The initial agreement between the José de Mello Capital group and the largest hospital network in the Algarve, Alentejo and Madeira will need to be adjusted, namely to include the construction of a ...
