The two maternity hospitals with the most births in Portugal are private and this has helped push up the caesarean rate
Two of the maternity hospitals with the highest number of births in Portugal are private institutions, a shift that analysts link to the country’s rising caesarean rate, now at a record high. The expansion of deliveries in the private sector appears to be a key driver of growing caesarean use nationally, while within the SNS the public unit with the most births is Maternidade Alfredo da Costa. The pattern raises questions about clinical practice variation between sectors, implications for maternal and neonatal outcomes, and the need for policy and oversight to address incentives and standardise care.
8am. Two emergency departments closed on Saturday and Sunday
This is what the official SNS website indicates for this weekend. Also in this edition: an interview with Mário Centeno for Observador about the ECB, and coverage of the EU's agreement with Mercosur.
Seguro visited the Bolhão and had the backing of the former SNS CEO
António José Seguro says that if he is elected president he will not simply pass on messages and that when he speaks with the prime minister there will be consequences. The candidate spent the final morning of his campaign at Porto's Bolhão market and was joined by Fernando Araújo, the former chief executive of the National Health Service (SNS).
Catarina Martins says Montenegro knows the reality in the SNS and 'chooses to lie'
The candidate insisted that the deterioration of the sector is intentional.
Catarina Martins says Montenegro knows the reality in the SNS and 'chooses to lie'
Presidential candidate Catarina Martins said today that the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, knows the reality of the problems in the National Health Service (SNS) but 'chooses to lie', insisting that the sector's deterioration is intentional.
"Health is a priority": António José Seguro concerned about the SNS situation
As President of the Republic, António José Seguro pledges to work with the Government and with all political parties, representatives of health professionals and patients - “to find a solid and lasting solution so that the Portuguese have access to healthcare in a timely manner”
PS leader accuses PM of being “out of touch, disconnected from country” after denial of health crisis
Portugal’s Prime Minister has been accused of being “out of touch” and “completely disconnected from the country” after insisting that the national health service (SNS) is not in crisis and The post PS leader accuses PM of being “out of touch, disconnected from country” after denial of health crisis appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Wooing Ventura's voters? The 'Chega-isation' of Cotrim
Cotrim has not ruled out a possible endorsement of Ventura, while completely rejecting Iniciativa Liberal's strategy. And the difficulties faced by those who rely solely on the SNS for healthcare.
More patients opting for private care as SNS access tightens
Survey-based reporting finds an increasing share of people no longer rely solely on the National Health Service and are turning to private healthcare providers; analysts say access difficulties in the SNS are a key driver and that wealthier patients who switch rarely return to public care. Residents who depend on the SNS should plan for longer waits for some services and weigh private options if timely access is critical.
Nova SBE (Nova School of Business and Economics) is the business school of Universidade Nova de Lisboa, based in Carcavelos; it has a modern campus opened in 2018 and is one of Portugal’s leading business schools. Its surveys and research—like the healthcare access study cited in the news—are often used in public policy debates, so expats will see Nova SBE data quoted in media and policy discussions.
Portugal recently revised its return legislation to replace the phrase 'voluntary abandonment' with a formal 'duty to abandon', aligning national rules with EU return standards and making an obligation to leave explicit for third‑country nationals subject to removal decisions. For migrants this clarifies legal responsibilities and can affect the timing and procedures of removals, including when assisted or enforced return measures may be used.
Fewer people are relying solely on the SNS and more are opting for private care
Difficulties accessing the National Health Service (SNS) are driving patients away from exclusive reliance on public care and toward private healthcare. More than half of people report self-medicating and the majority do not inform their doctor, while those who can afford private care rarely revert to the SNS once they switch. The trend suggests growing segmentation in access and a potential long-term shift of wealthier patients out of the public system.
António Filipe says deterioration of Portugal's National Health Service (SNS) 'is not perception, it's reality'
In Campo Maior, during a visit to an IPSS (private social solidarity institution), António Filipe criticised the prime minister's latest remarks, in which he said 'there is a perception of chaos in the SNS'.
Hiring limits in the National Health Service (SNS). Unions say they will worsen the healthcare crisis
Nurses' and diagnostic technicians' unions warn that limits on hiring staff will lead to a further deterioration of the National Health Service.
Limite a novas contratações no SNS. Restrições abrangem enfermeiros, técnicos ou assistentes
PCP accuses the Government of wanting to dismantle the SNS
In reaction to Montenegro's remarks, Paulo Raimundo accused the Government of wanting 'to make healthcare a big business' and of introducing into the SNS discussion 'illusion, propaganda, verging on lies'.
Nurses opposing hiring clampdown seek meeting with Government
Limits imposed on local health units may compromise the SNS's response, and the exemption for doctors deepens inequalities. The SNS executive director says he is following Government guidance.
"It happens often": SNS executive plays down excess mortality persisting for a month
Álvaro Almeida says the SNS Executive Directorate monitors the data daily and that the essential task is to establish the causes of the excess mortality. More detailed analyses, he adds, will only be carried out once winter is over. For now, he urges caution.
The problem in healthcare is 'very serious' and not just perception, says António Filipe
On the campaign trail, the presidential candidate supported by the PCP called for increased investment in the SNS (Portugal's National Health Service).
Jorge Pinto says there is chaos in the SNS and that 'Portuguese people are desperate'
Presidential candidate Jorge Pinto today criticised the Prime Minister for downplaying the problems of the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS) and argued that, contrary to what Montenegro said, there is a chaotic situation in Portugal's healthcare and that the Portuguese people are desperate.
Montenegro says there is a 'perception of chaos' in Portugal's National Health Service (SNS) but that this 'is not the reality'
The prime minister said on Monday there is a 'perception of chaos' in the National Health Service (SNS) but insisted that 'this is not reality', arguing that hospital waiting times 'are the best of the last five years'. Speaking in Porto at the inauguration of the SNS Executive Directorate's headquarters, Luís Montenegro recognised that ...
15-hour waiting times are isolated incidents, not the general reality
The chief executive of the National Health Service (SNS), Álvaro Almeida, spoke to journalists at the opening of the SNS executive directorate's headquarters in Porto on Monday.
The dysfunctions of Portugal's NHS (SNS): hospitals, trolleys and ambulances
Successive administrative integrations have eroded the distinct identity and operational autonomy of hospitals within Portugal’s National Health Service (SNS). The creation of sprawling Local Health Units (ULSs) — some with budgets exceeding €1 billion — has not been matched by adequate management capacity, leaving facilities ill-equipped to coordinate care, manage resources or respond to demand spikes. The dysfunction manifests in visible emergency problems — overcrowded trolleys, delayed ambulances and stressed staff — and points to a need for targeted governance, management investment and policy reform to restore operational effectiveness and protect patient care.
André Pestana says money transferred to private providers should be invested in the NHS
Presidential candidate André Pestana argues that funds currently routed to private healthcare providers should instead be invested in the NHS. He says greater NHS investment would strengthen health professionals' careers and deliver practical improvements — for example, better ambulances available sooner — reducing reliance on private sector services.
Tests: private sector urges Government to guarantee resources
In response to an ERS warning about diagnostic delays, the association of private hospitals says it has the capacity to meet the SNS’s demand but is urging the Government to guarantee the resources, contracts and regulatory clarity needed to mobilise that capacity. The claim highlights a policy tension over using private provision to reduce diagnostic backlogs while ensuring adequate public funding and oversight.
