Latest news and stories about patient care in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Unanimous agreement among PS, PSD, CDU, and Chega. The mayor warns that 250,000 people are now more than 50 km and one hour away from the nearest obstetric emergency service.
The Regional Gynaecology and Obstetrics Emergency department began operating this Monday at Loures hospital. The unit guarantees it has complete teams and rosters.
SMZS–FNAM highlights that there are overtime hours that have remained unpaid since last year or even two years ago, adding that they want a deadline established for workers to begin being paid.
Pregnant women from the five municipalities previously covered by the emergency department will now be treated in Loures, which has become the first regional emergency unit for this specialty.
Medical staff, nurses, and administrative workers at the Lisboa Ocidental Local Health Unit (ULSLO) are threatening industrial action following the disappearance of thousands of overtime hours from the computer system. Unions representing the staff have scheduled a meeting with the administration for the 19th to address long-standing issues, including unpaid overtime, career progression delays, and failures in performance evaluation systems. If negotiations fail, workers have approved a motion to proceed with a strike. Meanwhile, the Health Inspectorate is investigating the unit's Human Resources department regarding the legality of recent hiring practices.
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.
Rui Calafate, a commentator for CNN Portugal, argues that the proposal to turn the Beatriz Ângelo Hospital in Loures into the country's first regional emergency department is important to prevent people from having to travel long distances, but notes that a solution for the healthcare system still does not exist.
This was one of the ways found by the Ministry of Health to minimise the constraints on emergency services for this specialty.
The meeting took place on the same day that the gynaecology and obstetrics emergency services at that unit closed, with cases being redirected to the Beatriz Ângelo Hospital in Loures.
The Gynecology/Obstetrics emergency department at Beatriz Ângelo hospital will only have one additional specialist nurse. However, the clinical director guarantees that the rosters are complete.
The five mayors of the region contest the measure and state they are concerned that the closure of the Vila Franca de Xira maternity ward may follow. This was what they told the Minister of Health this morning.
The model began operating this morning at the Beatriz Ângelo Hospital. Mayors of the municipalities affected by the closure of the service in Vila Franca de Xira met with the minister and promise to continue fighting.
Loures will now receive pregnant women from Vila Franca de Xira. Officials state that the service is finally organised.
Loures will now receive pregnant women from Vila Franca de Xira. Officials state that the service is finally organised.
The mayor of Vila Franca de Xira promises to continue the fight. He says the minister did not commit to reversing the closure of the local emergency room, despite mentioning a temporary solution.
The Beatriz Ângelo Hospital begins covering obstetrics emergencies for Vila Franca de Xira today, but does it have the capacity to handle double the number of patients?
The clinical director of the hospital area states that there are currently five nurses and four doctors available to meet the needs of patients.
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 SNS executive director announced a new system for handling obstetric emergencies starting on the 16th, where more complex cases will be directed to Loures Hospital, while Vila Franca de Xira will handle less serious cases. The SNS24 line will assess and direct pregnant women to the appropriate services. During a hearing, the director defended the performance of INEM and discussed the impact of funding diversions on emergency services.
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.
Four gynaecology and obstetrics emergency departments have been closed. In Amadora‑Sintra only the gynaecology emergency department is shut; meanwhile the general emergency at Hospital Fernando Fonseca (Amadora‑Sintra) reported a three‑hour wait for patients classed as very urgent as of 20:00, according to the SNS Portal. Santa Maria recorded a two‑and‑a‑half‑hour wait for very urgent cases, and Hospital de Loures topped the waiting‑time list with around three‑hour waits for urgent patients.