Latest news and stories about healthcare in government in Porto, Portugal for expats and residents.
An editorial by Sónia Sapage exploring the multifaceted frustrations of Portuguese nurses, including salary concerns, professional status, and systemic workplace issues discussed at the 7th Nurses' Congress.
Infarmed is currently evaluating the potential widespread hospital use of a new cancer drug after previously denying a special authorisation request for a 35-year-old patient.
The recent dispatch signed by Health and Health Management Secretaries has sparked controversy as it paves the way for establishing a Cardiac Surgery Unit at the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Santo António in Porto. This decision has raised questions regarding healthcare policy and resource allocation in the region.
The Secretary of State for Health has signed an order that supports the establishment of a Surgery Unit at Hospital de Santo António, where she has previously worked and maintains connections. This decision highlights the ongoing relationship between healthcare policy and the officials who influence it.
In the past three years, ten patients have tragically died while awaiting heart surgery at Santo António Hospital in Porto, raising serious concerns about the efficiency and safety of the public healthcare system.
The Porto region is set to invest €820,000 in the refurbishment of two health centres. The Vale Formoso Health Unit will receive €526,000 for a four-month renovation, while the Foz Health Centre will be upgraded with an investment of €297,000, expected to take 100 days to complete.
Público highlights this Friday that the State is prioritizing the clearing of 19% of the forest affected by storms in the central region. Expresso reports that intelligence services want access to suspect metadata and are pushing for a constitutional review. Jornal de Notícias reports that the Porto IPO is one of the public buildings containing asbestos awaiting removal, despite air quality tests showing no contamination. Correio da Manhã states that Pinto da Costa's accounts were emptied in the months leading up to his death, with the justice system seeking explanations from his widow, Cláudia Campo. Diário de Notícias notes that the National Teacher Competition placed only 213 new teachers. Negócios and Eco discuss the SpaceX IPO, questioning whether the company's valuation is justified given its financial losses and debt.
This is a reaction to the news reported by Observador that the government has replaced two-thirds of hospital administrations in two years. Additionally, three fishermen were rescued alive on the Douro River.
Of the 15 health centres identified, only ten submitted applications for PRR funding, and only two managed to proceed with renovations paid for by Europe. Porto City Council is seeking funding for the remaining centres.
Luís Montenegro considers it necessary to reconcile investments. Today, the Cardiac MRI unit and the heliport of the Gaia and Espinho Local Health Unit were inaugurated.
At the end of his visit to the Tâmega e Sousa Hospital Centre, the PS leader said that if the issue “were a priority, it would be being resolved” and focused on the lack of social response for the elderly.
The Socialist Party (PS) secretary-general criticised the Government today for failing to 'guarantee a social safety net' in healthcare to prevent the elderly from spending years in hospitals, urging them to 'take responsibility'.
In Penafiel, he heard warnings from the Board of Directors regarding the occupation of 'about 60 beds per day by people who remain in the hospital because they lack family or social support'.
Socialists say that Ana Paula Martins chose “personal attacks” against the former executive director of the NHS to “distract from the failure of her governance”.
The oncologist has been in the position since 2022. The new term was approved by the Council of Ministers and published this Monday in the Diário da República.
The reappointment was decided by the Council of Ministers.
Statements from the key figures at the 7th Nurses' Congress, which took place in Gondomar and had Expresso as a media partner
At the closing of the 7th Nurses' Congress this Saturday in Gondomar, which had Expresso as a media partner, Ana Povo confirmed that the Ministry of Health will materialise career progression, prescription rights, and the role of advanced practice nurse. A promise made on Friday, on the same stage, by Luís Montenegro.
The Nurses' Union lamented the Prime Minister's “speech of intentions” at the professional association's congress, claiming he did not commit to resolving problems that have been “dragging on” for years.
A statement regarding the necessity of retaining Portuguese nursing professionals within the national healthcare system.
The Prime Minister admits that a collective labour agreement for nurses should be reached in the coming weeks. Luís Montenegro made the appeal to the Minister of Health at the seventh Nurses' Congress, which gathered eight thousand professionals this morning in Gondomar.
The Ministry of Health is working to, “in a final effort over the coming weeks”, sign a collective labour agreement for nurses that provides visibility and predictability for these professionals, the Prime Minister announced this Friday. In Gondomar, in the Porto district, at a congress gathering thousands of nurses and nursing students this Friday, ...
Former minister under Luís Montenegro and current mayor of Porto criticises the UGT. Additionally, Adalberto Campos Fernandes has been appointed coordinator of the 'Health Pact' created by the President of the Republic.
A section of a newspaper or publication featuring letters sent by readers to the editor.
The government wants the Santo António Local Health Unit (ULS) to become a reference centre. The hospital's only cardiac surgeon is unable to perform operations.
The government wants the Santo António Local Health Unit (ULS) to become a reference centre. The hospital's only cardiac surgeon is unable to perform operations.
The Secretary of State for Health, Ana Povo, stated today that the Santo António Local Health Unit (ULSSA) in Porto meets the conditions to become an affiliated reference centre for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
Regarding the possibility of creating a cardiac surgery centre in the Northern region, the Secretary of State for Health states that the Santo António Health Unit meets the necessary conditions.
Nearly 330 patients died between 2021 and 2025 while on waiting lists for cardiac surgery, according to Secretary of State for Health Ana Povo. The government plans to issue an order to review referral networks to address the issue, particularly in the North, where there is debate over the creation of new reference centres to reduce waiting times and improve access to procedures like TAVI valve implants.
The government official believes that the Santo António Local Health Unit (ULSSA) in Porto meets the necessary conditions.
