Latest news and stories about healthcare in work 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.
An analysis of the medical residency program at S. João Hospital and a critique of the populist political response to the closure of emergency services at Barreiro Hospital.
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.
Among other demands, the union is calling for the unblocking of the evaluation process so that nurses can access career progression and the payment of outstanding debts.
ASPE reports that the debt owed to nurses has been growing for two years. SITEU has called a strike for Monday and is demanding the payment of arrears and late-payment interest.
The São João Local Health Unit promises to hire more nurses in the short term. The Nurses' Union has demanded the immediate recruitment of new nurses at this health unit.
The Nurses' Union demanded solutions on Tuesday for the ULSSJ, where it claims there is a shortage of professionals, especially in the emergency department, and is calling for a hardship/risk allowance to be paid.
Nurses are demanding solutions for the São João Local Health Unit. They state that it is necessary to reinforce staffing levels, noting a serious situation in the emergency departments due to their specific nature, which causes greater exhaustion.
The Local Health Unit (ULS) acknowledges that the change in the calculation rules for team remuneration has a particular impact on scoliosis and other spinal disease surgeries. The impasse has lasted for more than two months.
The Northern Doctors' Union has created an SOS channel for situations of workplace harassment. A study of two dozen cases reveals that 95% occur in the public sector and 74% affect female doctors.
According to the president of the Northern Doctors' Union, 95% of cases occurred in the public sector, 90% in a hospital setting, 95% involved specialist doctors, and 74% involved female doctors.
Hundreds of nurses at the Santo António and S. João hospitals in Porto have been prevented from progressing in their careers since 2023. The complaint was made by the Portuguese Nurses' Union, which has already filed a report with the General Inspectorate of Health.
“It is the institutions' duty to evaluate professionals.” The coordinator of the SEP's Northern regional board says that the lack of evaluation is a problem that the Government must resolve.
Medical interns in Endocrinology at the Santo António Local Health Unit (ULSSA) in Porto were scheduled for Saturday shifts for two years without receiving overtime pay, as the shifts were incorrectly classified as part of their normal weekly hours. Following a complaint to the Northern Medical Union (SMN), the practice was deemed illegal, as interns' standard hours are Monday to Friday. The union intervened, and the health unit has since ceased the practice. The union president emphasized that protecting interns' rights and training is essential for the quality of the National Health Service (SNS).
A study titled 'Preventive Health in Active Women', developed by the non-profit VOH CoLab in collaboration with CUF, reveals that family burdens and logistical workplace barriers severely hinder self-care and preventive screenings for working women in Portugal. The findings show that 58% of respondents balance professional duties with caring for dependents, leading 38% to prioritise others' health over their own. Although 74% claim to have flexibility for appointments, only 26% enjoy true flexibility without the need for formal justification or making up hours. This results in significant delays in essential clinical exams, such as colonoscopies and bone density scans. The study, based on a sample of 2,564 women from major companies like MEO, Pestana, Jerónimo Martins, Hovione, and CUF, recommends that organisations adopt shared responsibility for preventive health by offering genuine flexibility and in-company health programmes.
The São João Hospital in Porto is operating only with minimum services. FNAM leader Joana Bordalo e Sá is on-site and provided an initial assessment to CNN Portugal.
At issue is the failure to comply with guidelines regarding the payment of salary credits owed, putting an end to the omissions and delays that have harmed workers. The strike began this Thursday.
Workers feel great resentment towards the board of directors, which has not made a favourable decision regarding them.
Doctors are being prevented from taking the rest periods required by law and are being subjected to shift work and time bank schemes, the Northern Doctors' Union accuses.
Portugal’s Northern Doctors’ Union, affiliated with the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM), has announced today that it is joining the general strike, scheduled for June 3 – not just because The post Doctors officially throw support behind June 3 general strike appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The union indicates that what is at stake in a possible labour reform are “working weeks of up to 50 hours as the norm, unregulated schedules, or imposed time banks.”
Rui Nunes, a full professor of Bioethics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, analyses the protests by health professionals and working conditions in the National Health Service (SNS).
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.
At the Fontes Pereira de Melo Secondary School, only fifth and sixth-year students had classes. In healthcare, some people had to wait more than two hours for blood tests.
At S. João Hospital, there are long delays for clinical tests.
The Northern Doctors' Union has filed a complaint with several entities. IPO Porto states it is making adjustments following changes in the law and that the amount will be paid.
The Northern Doctors' Union states that the IPO in Porto sent institutional email addresses to an external company “without the doctors' knowledge” during the performance evaluation process.
The Northern Doctors' Union claims that the Paediatrics Department of the ULS of Matosinhos is being used abusively to cover shortages in emergency rosters.
The demonstration on Avenida dos Aliados gathered hundreds of people, with strong participation from public transport, health, and education professionals.
Those who had “first consultations”, school tests, or other commitments — and, of course, those who really had to go to work — went. Despite the transport constraints. Street commerce opened.
Enduring Portuguese Bureaucratic Nightmares
ExpatsEverywhere • 1:04:18 • 22 Sept
