Latest news and stories about healthcare in government in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
New data indicates that over 60% of Portugal's 1,525 registered orthopaedists currently practice outside the National Health Service (SNS). The shortage is particularly acute in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, though the government has pledged to address the issue by consolidating emergency services.
Regional obstetrics emergency services at hospitals in Barreiro and Vila Franca de Xira will close in mid‑March, with pregnant patients from Barreiro redirected to Hospital Garcia de Orta in Almada and those from Vila Franca sent to Hospital de Loures, RTP reports. Local users and politicians have criticised the decision as political and a strategic error, saying it will lengthen journeys for urgent maternity care. Expect changes to where to go for labour emergencies and check the receiving hospitals’ guidance if you live in those municipalities.
Portugal is expanding its healthcare infrastructure to combat gambling addiction by planning two new public treatment centres, including one in Porto, building on the initial dedicated unit launched in Lisbon.
Portugal's Directorate-General of Health (DGS) has confirmed five cases of measles in the Lisbon region since 6 October. The authority highlighted that the highly contagious airborne infection, while typically benign, poses risks of severe complications or death in certain cases.
António José Seguro advocates for a long-term national healthcare pact to ensure stability for the NHS, urging a move away from short-term political cycles and excessive public debate.
The Minister of Health has announced a one-year nationwide reorganisation plan for NHS emergency services, with initial results and public hearings expected by the end of November to improve resource allocation and patient care.
The Portuguese government will fund two billion euros in infrastructure projects, including major hospital and metro expansions, through the State Budget after their removal from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with assurances that no tax hikes will follow.
The Minister of Health has expressed significant concern regarding the critical shortage of anaesthesiologists, highlighting the impact on medical services, particularly within the Lisbon region.
The Portuguese Ministry of Health plans to identify new regional emergency services by late November, focusing on orthopaedic care in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region to modernize the decade-old National Health Service network.
The Amadora-Sintra Hospital has pledged to add 13 nurses to its emergency department following staff protests, though the Nurses' Association argues this increase fails to address the critical staffing shortages and long patient wait times.
The Santa Maria Local Health Unit is expected to launch a revised tender for the USF Lumiar project, aiming to address the needs of 8,000 patients currently lacking a family doctor.
The first privately managed Family Health Unit (USF-C) has launched in Torres Vedras, marking the start of a 38.2 million euro initiative to provide family doctors to 94,000 patients across ten new units.
The first privately managed Family Health Unit has launched in Torres Vedras, marking a delayed milestone in the government's Health Emergency Plan to improve patient care efficiency.
The union considers it unacceptable to attempt to amend a structural law such as the INEM Organic Law via decree, without promoting a broad debate or discussion in Parliament.
Despite a significant increase in intensive care capacity over the last decade, half of the country's services currently report closed beds primarily due to a critical shortage of nursing staff.
Approximately 50 protesters gathered at the Ministry of Health to demand the preservation of gynaecology and obstetrics emergency services, marking the conclusion of a week-long campaign by the Movement of Public Service Users for increased SNS investment.
The Portuguese National Health Service is launching lung cancer screening pilot projects at the Gaia/Espinho and Santa Maria local health units following a new government order.
A protest in Lisbon highlights the deteriorating state of the NHS, with a specific focus on the controversial reorganisation of emergency services.
Mayors are seeking meetings with political parties to address the negative impact of obstetric emergency service closures on local populations, particularly those in remote areas.
Anselmo Crespo argues that the new regional emergency department in Loures fails to address the critical, long-term shortage of healthcare professionals causing service closures across Portugal.
The Beatriz Ângelo Hospital in Loures launches the first regional gynaecology and obstetrics emergency department, operating 24/7 to address healthcare staffing shortages.
A new gynaecology and obstetrics referral network is being implemented in Portugal, centralising patient flow to Loures while highlighting critical staffing shortages across multiple regional hospitals.
A new centralised obstetrics and gynaecology emergency unit is set to open at Loures Hospital to address staffing shortages and ensure 24/7 service coverage, despite ongoing challenges in other regions.
The new President took office in Belém, emphasizing the need for national stability while highlighting critical challenges including an ageing population, healthcare and housing deficits, and a slow judicial system.
Five mayors from municipalities served by the Vila Franca de Xira Hospital are taking action against the closure of emergency services. They plan to submit a petition and send a letter to the Minister of Health to express their outrage over the decision, highlighting concerns about public safety and healthcare access.
Update: Mayors to Address Parliament In addition to a petition, the five mayors will also take their concerns to Parliament, seeking to raise awareness and garner support against the closure of emergency services at the Vila Franca de Xira Hospital.
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.
Hospital Amadora‑Sintra has flagged inaccuracies in the SNS portal’s reported average emergency department waiting times, calling for corrections and greater transparency while stating the issue does not affect patient care or safety.
Discover the strategic pillars of the six committees that make up the latest edition of the Health Parliament Portugal. During the second plenary session, the priorities were revealed, indicating the path for creating proposals aimed at improving the future of healthcare in the country. This initiative is organised by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Nova University Lisbon, and Microsoft, with Expresso serving as the media partner.
The mayor also announces the reopening of mental health services.
The Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) allocates funds to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia nursing home project in Ericeira.
The Government will include non-urgent patient transport companies in the scope of Decree-Law No. 199/2026, which establishes a package of extraordinary and temporary financial aid to mitigate rising fuel and AdBlue costs. This decision comes after private providers threatened to halt services or hold a slow-drive protest in Lisbon due to being excluded from previous support measures. The Ministry of Health acknowledged the essential role these companies play in ensuring patient access to healthcare amid rising operational costs. Industry representatives, including Álvaro Gil of the Portuguese Ambulance League (LPA), previously lamented the government's silence, noting that because transport prices are fixed at 2023 levels, companies cannot pass on cost increases to the National Health Service (SNS). In 2025, the SNS recorded over four million non-urgent patient journeys, with private firms handling half of these services, primarily for oncology treatments, dialysis, and physiotherapy.
