Legal: Medical services news in Portugal

The Lisbon Alcoholism Unit (Unidade de Alcoologia de Lisboa or UAL) has reopened its inpatient service at the Health Park after being closed since the start of the pandemic in 2020. The facility now provides 16 beds for treatment programs lasting between 10 and 21 days.

Four elderly residents have died following a respiratory disease outbreak at a nursing home in Veiros, Estremoz. While 25 of the 28 residents showed symptoms consistent with Influenza A, the virus has been confirmed in only one of the deceased. The Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an inquiry into the deaths, and health authorities have implemented isolation and sanitation protocols.

The Portuguese Private Hospitalization Association (Associação Portuguesa de Hospitalização Privada or APHP) has warned that private hospitals may terminate agreements with the health subsystem for civil servants, known as ADSE, for the treatment of cancer patients. The move comes in response to planned reductions in reimbursements for oncology services scheduled to take effect in October.

The Santo António Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde or ULS) in Porto has suspended all overtime orthopaedic and neurosurgery operations. The decision follows a change in how the hospital calculates payments for additional surgical activity, which has led to protests from medical staff and impacts on patient waiting lists.

The General Inspection of Health Activities (Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde or IGAS) has launched an investigation into the Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada. The probe follows the hospital's decision to suspend consultations for voluntary pregnancy termination, forcing patients to be redirected to private clinics in Lisbon.

The National Authority of Medicines and Health Products (Autoridade Nacional do Medicamento e Produtos de Saúde or Infarmed) has ordered the withdrawal of a specific batch of Salofalk from the market. Patients currently using the medication for intestinal inflammation are advised not to interrupt their treatment without consulting their doctor.

Patient advocacy groups are raising concerns that the temporary suspension of voluntary pregnancy termination services at Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada may become permanent. While services are currently being redirected to a private clinic, local committees are calling for urgent government intervention to restore full capacity within the SNS.

A 90-year-old woman was reportedly denied a wheelchair at the Cascais Hospital emergency department, forcing a private transport driver to carry her into the facility. The incident has sparked public concern regarding patient care standards at the hospital.

The Northern Doctors Union (Sindicato dos Médicos do Norte or SMN) has declared the emergency departments at the Santa Maria da Feira and São João da Madeira hospitals to be in a critical state. The union attributes the situation to a lack of human resources and poor planning within the Entre Douro e Vouga Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde or ULS). Officials warn that these conditions are currently placing patients at risk.

The emergency department at the Amadora-Sintra Hospital reported 19 patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery this Sunday. The facility has requested a regional solution to manage the influx, which includes patients transferred from other major hospitals in the Lisbon area.

Around 100 nurses at Amadora-Sintra Hospital have submitted a declaration of disclaimer of responsibility to the administration, citing severe overcrowding and staff shortages in the emergency department. Patients have faced wait times exceeding nine hours for urgent care, while the hospital administration stated that a reinforcement of 13 nurses is currently underway.

User committees in Almada and Seixal reported that voluntary pregnancy terminations were discontinued this week at Garcia de Orta Hospital. The local health unit, Unidade Local de Saúde Almada-Seixal, confirmed the service interruption but described it as a temporary measure due to staffing shortages, noting that a protocol has been established with another facility to ensure patient care.

The São Miguel Hospital in Oliveira de Azeméis has partially closed several services due to a cockroach infestation detected on Monday. Local authorities expect operations to resume by Thursday, with affected patients currently being transferred to hospitals in Feira and Ovar.

The Central Administration of the Health System (Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde or ACSS) has clarified that in-person validation for the National User Registry (Registo Nacional de Utente or RNU) is only required when information is incomplete. This follows concerns from the Medical Association regarding potential barriers to accessing healthcare services.

An audit by the Health Regulatory Authority (Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde or IGAS) reveals that the Algarve Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde do Algarve or ULS Algarve) has over 1.2 million euros in unpaid medical bills from non-resident foreigners. The report identifies patients from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and Brazil as the primary users of these services.

The Portuguese Medical Association has warned that the obstetrics emergency department at São Francisco Xavier Hospital in Lisbon will remain closed throughout August. The unit will only provide emergency responses when activated by the INEM.

The number of scheduled caesarean sections in Portugal has quadrupled, reaching 55.3% of all such procedures in 2025, according to recent hospital data. Medical experts warn that this trend exceeds the 20% recommendation from the World Health Organization and emphasize that the surgery should be reserved for cases where it provides a clear benefit to the mother or baby.

The Workers' Commission of the National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) has denounced technical failures in the new OnCall computer system used by Urgent Patient Guidance Centres (Centros de Orientação de Doentes Urgentes or CODU). Staff warn that these glitches pose risks to the dispatching of emergency resources and have demanded immediate clarifications from the institute's board of directors. Additionally, the Ministry of Health is currently transitioning INEM toward a new training model that requires internationally recognized certifications for emergency professionals.

Update: Authorities correct exam grading errors following export failure

Education authorities, including the Institute of Education, Quality and Evaluation (Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação or EduQA), admitted that a file export error caused incorrect secondary school exam grades to be posted on Friday. Schools received corrected files over the weekend, and officials confirmed that the 'suspended' status previously assigned to some students has been removed.

The Assembly of the Republic has approved legislation to strengthen rights during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. The new law removes the specific term “obstetric violence,” replacing it with broader language regarding “inappropriate, disrespectful, and non-consensual practices.” The change follows ongoing debates about the standard of care provided to women within the national healthcare system.

The Consulate-General of Brazil in Lisbon has reminded travelers that they are entitled to use the public healthcare system in Portugal at no cost. This access is guaranteed under a social security agreement between Brazil and Portugal, which allows citizens of both countries to utilize public medical services while visiting.

Approximately 50 people, mostly young athletes, were treated at the Caldas da Rainha hospital following a suspected food poisoning outbreak at the Footmania tournament. The Food and Economic Safety Authority (Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica or ASAE) has inspected the catering supplier and reported no immediate findings of non-compliance.

The Human Resources director of the Western Lisbon Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde Lisboa Ocidental or ULSLO) has been suspended following allegations of workplace harassment. The director is accused of restraining an employee to a chair with adhesive tape, and the institution has confirmed that disciplinary proceedings are underway.

Health experts have reported an increase in newborns diagnosed with congenital syphilis in Portugal. Professionals warn that each case represents a failure within the national healthcare system to provide adequate prenatal care and screening.

The National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) is investigating the death of a 73-year-old woman in Santarém after a reported 29-minute delay in emergency assistance. Despite the patient suffering from breathing difficulties, the family was allegedly advised to transport her to the hospital themselves. The family has since initiated legal action regarding the incident.

The Portuguese Association for Women's Rights in Pregnancy and Childbirth (Associação Portuguesa pelos Direitos da Mulher na Gravidez e Parto or APDMGP) reports that hospitals frequently refuse care to pregnant women who have not first contacted the SNS24 health line. The association states it has received dozens of reports of such refusals, characterizing the practice as a violation of basic access to healthcare.

A patient admitted to São Francisco Xavier Hospital in Lisbon with suspected hantavirus has tested negative, according to the Directorate-General of Health (Direção-Geral da Saúde or DGS). The individual, who had recently traveled from a cruise ship affected by an outbreak, was transferred to the Curry Cabral Hospital for specialized testing following standard health protocols.

The Baixo Alentejo Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde do Baixo Alentejo or ULSBA) has confirmed three cases of measles in adults aged 30 to 55 in Beja. Health authorities have identified nearly 500 high-risk contacts and have vaccinated over 120 individuals following exposure to the virus, which is being monitored under national health guidelines.

The external paediatric surgery emergency department at Dona Estefânia Hospital in Lisbon will operate with restrictions this weekend due to a shortage of anaesthesiologists. The unit will continue to observe patients but will not perform surgeries between Friday at 8:00 and Sunday at 8:00.

The Public Ministry has archived the criminal investigation into the death of an 86-year-old man in Bragança during the 2024 strike by National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) technicians. Prosecutors found no evidence that the 48-minute delay in emergency response caused the patient's death from a heart attack.

The National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) has denied claims that it is eliminating specialized paediatric ambulance services. The clarification follows concerns raised by the INEM Workers' Commission regarding a new government order that defines updated protocols for the inter-hospital transport of critical patients.

The General Inspectorate of Health Activities (Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde or IGAS) is investigating the deaths of ten patients who were on waiting lists for cardiac surgery at the Santo António hospital. These deaths reportedly occurred between 2022 and 2025, prompting oversight bodies to demand accountability for the long wait times.

The National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) recorded 3,429 episodes of violence against healthcare professionals in 2025, a significant increase from 2,581 cases in 2024. According to data from the Directorate-General of Health (Direção-Geral da Saúde or DGS), psychological aggression remains the most frequent form of abuse, leading to over 2,000 days of work absences.

The Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa) coordinated the medical evacuation of a 76-year-old American woman from a cruise ship west of the Azores archipelago. The rescue operation, initiated on Friday, resulted in the patient being transported to a hospital in Ponta Delgada for treatment.

The National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) is under scrutiny after its emergency dispatch centre, the CODU, reportedly refused to authorize hospital transport for a 55-year-old blind man. Although the CODU initially dispatched an ambulance from the Arruda dos Vinhos fire department to the Marvila area in Lisbon, it later denied the patient admission to the hospital. Firefighters proceeded to transport the man to the Hospital de São José regardless of the instruction.

The Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira or AT) will restore benefits to taxpayers whose disability ratings were reviewed to below 60% before the end of 2023. This decision follows recent court rulings that challenged the progressive loss of tax benefits for individuals with disabilities.

The General Inspectorate for Health Activities (Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde or IGAS) has ordered dermatology teams at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon to return over 818,000 euros. The investigation concluded that these payments, made for additional surgeries between 2021 and 2025, were improper. The findings implicate several medical staff, including Miguel Alpalhão, and note that the authorizations were granted by board members serving during that period.

Luís Duarte Costa has resigned as director of the General Emergency Service at the Amadora-Sintra Local Health Unit. He cited the failure to implement a plan to manage patients permanently admitted to the emergency department due to a lack of hospital beds and social cases as the primary reason for his departure.

The Braga Hospital, a surgeon, and an insurance company have been ordered to pay 132,000 euros in damages to the parents of a 33-year-old patient who died following surgery. The court ruled that the surgeon failed to address post-operative complications, specifically an untreated abscess, which constituted medical malpractice.

The Inspectorate-General of Health Activities (Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde or IGAS) is investigating a doctor from Benavente suspected of charging 1,000 euros to facilitate fraudulent disability pensions. Beneficiaries of the scheme may face criminal charges and be required to return funds received improperly from the state.

A 42-year-old Belgian nurse was arrested by the Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária or PJ) on suspicion of sexually assaulting an anaesthetised patient at the Beatriz Ângelo Hospital in Loures. The Nursing Association (Ordem dos Enfermeiros) has requested the suspect's identification from the Public Prosecutor's Office to initiate disciplinary proceedings.

One in three patients suffering from depression in Portugal reports experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, according to recent data. Many of these individuals struggle to access necessary care due to limited capacity within the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) and the high costs associated with private medical treatment.

Four hospital emergency departments, including obstetrics and paediatrics units, are closed this Saturday according to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) portal. The affected facilities include hospitals in Santarém, Abrantes, Portimão, and Torres Vedras. Health authorities advise the public to contact the SNS 24 health line before traveling to any emergency department.

Update: Emergency department closures continue across four hospitals

Latest updates from the SNS portal confirm that the gynaecology and obstetrics departments at hospitals in Santarém, Abrantes, and Portimão remain closed. Additionally, the paediatric emergency unit at the Torres Vedras District Hospital is also unavailable to the public.

The National Association of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (Associação Nacional dos Doentes com Artrite Reumatoide or A.N.D.A.R.) reports that hospital stock shortages are forcing patients to travel long distances weekly to collect medication. Some patients reportedly travel over 100 kilometers to units like the Hospital Beatriz Ângelo because pharmacies cannot provide multi-month supplies. Those relying on specialized hospital medication should check stock levels with their local unit before traveling.

The National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) is facing criticism over claims that some staff are operating emergency vehicles without updated driving training. Former officials also allege that a lack of investment and disputes over helicopter service contracts have compromised the quality of care. These internal conflicts led some candidates to refuse leadership roles within the agency last year. Those requiring emergency medical assistance should be aware of potential service delays during ongoing labor disputes.