When formal care breaks down, patients improvise — a situation that cannot become the normal operating mode of a health system. The piece examines the risks of self-medication and improvised care, and highlights research suggesting diagnostic and outcome disparities — for example, people with colour-vision deficiency and bladder cancer were 52% more likely to die within 20 years of diagnosis — to argue for better access, diagnostics and system-level solutions.

Reporting examines cases where the National Institute for Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica) — INEM — failed to arrive in time, adding to concerns about pre-hospital response amid broader pressure on emergency services. The piece links ambulance and response delays to current strains across the system rather than isolated incidents. Those relying on urgent medical care should note potential delays and ensure they understand local emergency procedures and alternative routes to care.

Rising costs of medicines are a primary barrier to healthcare for the most disadvantaged, forcing some patients to cancel appointments and tests for lack of funds. This creates widening inequalities in health outcomes and places additional strain on services; addressing the problem requires policy responses such as targeted subsidies, improved coverage, price regulation and better access to affordable medicines.

In 2025, 14.26% of people reported not seeking healthcare when needed, reflecting significant access barriers in Portugal. More than half of the poorest households cannot afford all prescribed medication, while over 50% of initial consultations in the National Health Service (SNS) occur outside the appropriate timeframe. These findings point to intersecting problems of affordability and timeliness that disproportionately affect low-income groups and signal the need for targeted policy responses to improve medication coverage, reduce waiting times and strengthen primary-care access.

Admiral Gouveia e Melo has urged a change in health leadership, saying the Government should resign if it cannot resolve systemic problems in the healthcare system. He accuses the State of failing across the board, criticises missed deadlines for delivering results and calls for accountability and urgent action to protect patients and medical services. The remarks frame the crisis as a leadership and policy failure with direct implications for care delivery and public confidence.

Researchers report Portugal's first identified cases of Candida auris, a drug‑resistant fungal pathogen of concern in healthcare settings; outlets say the finding underscores the need for strengthened surveillance and infection‑control measures. Those receiving care in hospitals and long‑term facilities should expect heightened attention to hygiene protocols and, where relevant, screening or isolation procedures.

A Nova SBE survey shows the share of people using a private GP climbed from 11.8% in 2023 to 15.5% in 2025, while the share saying they rely exclusively on the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) fell from 90% to 82% over three years. Observers say rising private demand reflects pressure on public services and waiting times, and could mean more residents choose private clinics for continuity of care. Patients considering private options should compare costs, contracts and whether their insurance covers consultations.

A new report finds episodes of illness rising particularly among younger people in Portugal, contributing to an overall increase in the number of people falling ill while persistent barriers to accessing the SNS (Serviço Nacional de Saúde) remain high. The data suggest growing pressure on primary and urgent care, uneven access driven by geographic, capacity and administrative constraints, and possible underlying drivers such as changing infection patterns, mental‑health needs and disruptions to routine care. The report calls for targeted policy responses to expand capacity, improve outreach to younger cohorts and reduce practical barriers to care, and for more granular analysis to identify regional and demographic causes.

The Order of Nurses (Ordem dos Enfermeiros) has publicly rejected proposed limits on nurse recruitment, warning that restricting hiring would damage service quality and patient safety and exacerbate staffing pressures. Observador and Correio da Manhã report the body said workforce shortages and an ageing staff profile already strain care delivery. For expats who rely on public healthcare: staffing pressures could mean slower non‑urgent services and longer waits in some units; consider registering with a local family doctor and check private options if continuity of care is essential.

Successive administrative integrations have eroded the distinct identity and operational autonomy of hospitals within Portugal’s National Health Service (SNS). The creation of sprawling Local Health Units (ULSs) — some with budgets exceeding €1 billion — has not been matched by adequate management capacity, leaving facilities ill-equipped to coordinate care, manage resources or respond to demand spikes. The dysfunction manifests in visible emergency problems — overcrowded trolleys, delayed ambulances and stressed staff — and points to a need for targeted governance, management investment and policy reform to restore operational effectiveness and protect patient care.

During a tense election campaign swing through Ovar, São João da Madeira and Lamego, AD-backed candidate Marques Mendes publicly challenged Health Minister Ana Paula Martins to “show up and explain” mounting problems in the National Health Service, notably failings in emergency departments. Mendes, accompanied by two ministers and supported at events by Porto mayor Rui Moreira, pressed for direct public explanations as the health portfolio becomes a campaign battleground; the minister already has a public engagement scheduled. Elsewhere on the campaign trail, André Ventura “survived” an incident in Aveiro—famously described as a "chuva de cavacas"—and later thanked supporters in Viseu's so-called “Cavaquistão,” underscoring how confrontational moments and popular gestures are shaping voter perceptions. The episodes highlight healthcare policy and political accountability as central issues in the race and illustrate how personalised campaign incidents are influencing public debate.

CNN Portugal spent time inside CODU, INEM’s medical call centre in Lisbon and found a centre under sustained pressure where high call volumes demand rapid, accurate triage and careful deployment of ambulances and other rescue resources. The report examines how operators prioritise calls, the protocols guiding decision-making, and the operational strain of matching limited resources to urgent needs.

The government has signed a formal negotiation agreement with the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) and said it will continue seeking consensus with health professionals. The move opens structured talks aimed at resolving labour and service delivery issues in the medical sector, signalling a willingness to engage on healthcare policy and doctors’ demands rather than imposing unilateral measures.

The Portuguese Firefighters' League (LBP) has established a weekend task force of four additional ambulances to bolster pre-hospital emergency response and ease pressure on hospitals. The emergency vehicles — drawn from the Ajuda, Cabo Ruivo, Camarate and Cascais brigades — will be based at the LBP headquarters, while a commander will be on permanent duty at CAASO (Centre for Operational Monitoring and Support) to coordinate operations. The deployment is a targeted, short-term capacity boost intended to improve response times during busy periods and provide centralised operational oversight.

Beja Hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology emergency service will be closed overnight due to a shortage of doctors, operating from 20:00 on Saturday until 08:00 on Sunday and again from 20:00 on Sunday until 08:00 on Monday. The closures are attributed to an inability to complete the rota, raising concerns about patient access to urgent maternity and gynaecological care and potential pressure on neighbouring services. An accompanying opinion notes systemic failings in emergency logistics — exemplified by ambulances held up by missing stretchers — as symptomatic of wider incompetence in healthcare operations.

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.

Liberal Initiative MP Joana Cordeiro criticises both the PSD and PS administrations for offering identical, short-term responses — announcing purchases of ambulances and hospital beds — after three deaths were linked to delays in emergency response. She argues the measures are reactive and cosmetic rather than addressing systemic failures in emergency services, resource allocation and management, and calls for structural reforms, improved oversight and accountability to restore patient safety and public confidence.

PSD MP Miguel Guimarães welcomed the announcement to purchase 245 ambulances, saying it will allow INEM to increase its response capacity across multiple locations, notably Greater Lisbon and Setúbal. Analytically, the investment should improve coverage and potentially reduce response times in high-demand areas, but its effectiveness will depend on deployment strategy, crew availability and integration with existing emergency services. Close monitoring of allocation and operational metrics will be required to ensure the intended gains in emergency healthcare delivery are realised.

The prime minister announced what was described as “the largest investment in ambulances in over a decade” — 275 new vehicles — less than 36 hours after three citizens were reported to have died while waiting for care. Critics have called the timing “strange” and labelled the move demagoguery, arguing it risks masking systemic negligence in emergency services rather than addressing deeper policy and resourcing failures in healthcare and public safety. The episode has intensified calls for transparent planning, independent oversight and comprehensive reforms to emergency medical services rather than one-off equipment purchases.

Carlos Enes of CNN Portugal examines recurring, serious failings in Portugal’s emergency response system, arguing that political and union attacks on INEM distract from patient safety. He urges giving INEM operational authority, requiring ULS hospitals to free trolleys and beds, and restoring clinical judgement as the primary guide for urgent care, while calling for systemic changes to protect public health.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has promulgated the government’s health reform while formally requesting improvements to three related decree-laws. His interventions focus on the decree-law that centralises emergency services regionally and on the new regime for hiring locum doctors, where he identified unclear requirements and potential incompatibilities. The request for clarification signals legal and policy concerns that could prompt amendments, highlighting tensions between centralised emergency planning and the need for a flexible medical workforce.

Almost a year after the minister warned of unacceptable A&E waiting times, there has been no meaningful improvement. Persistent delays point to systemic strain on emergency services, heighten risks to patient safety and wellbeing, and indicate a need for urgent policy and resource interventions rather than repeated warnings.

Marques Mendes urged the President and the Government not to stall a bill establishing regional obstetric emergency departments, saying he hopes they decide before he assumes the Presidency on 9 March to avoid it becoming one of his first decisions in office.

Ten years ago, Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada opened the first hospital-at-home unit. Today there are already 50 Local Health Units offering this service — a way of delivering healthcare to 400 patients receiving inpatient care outside the hospital.

The Portuguese president says he will soon sign into law the legislative measures for the National Health Service (SNS) that were returned to the Government for reconsideration.

The three decree-laws centre on new rules for hiring locum doctors, regional emergency services, and the management system to tackle waiting lists.