Latest news and stories about patient care in technology in Portugal for expats and residents.
The Coimbra Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde or ULS) has successfully performed the first robot-assisted endoscopic ear surgery in Portugal. The procedure demonstrates high safety and precision, marking a significant advancement in surgical innovation for the national health system. The ULS of Coimbra is also noted for its capacity to work with all available models of cochlear implant electrodes.
The Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde or SPMS) only identified unauthorized access to the data of 100,000 National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) users two days after the incident began. The president of the SPMS, Luís Goes Pinheiro, confirmed the delay during a parliamentary hearing.
The Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde or SPMS) is the public agency responsible for managing information technology and procurement for the national health service. It handles the digital infrastructure and software systems used by hospitals and health centers across Portugal.
ULS Alto Ave is the Alto Ave Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Ave), a public body that runs hospitals and some primary-care services for the Ave area in northern Portugal. It is part of the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS), and recent staff strikes have affected overtime and complementary work, so residents should check local hospital notices before visiting.
The Almada-Seixal Local Health Unit reports it has not received official notification regarding the IGAS inspection into the Garcia de Orta Hospital following the suspension of voluntary pregnancy termination services.
The Portuguese government has mandated that hospitals must ensure timely abortion services and cover associated costs following reports of service disruptions at Garcia de Orta Hospital due to staffing shortages and planning failures.
The Left Bloc has requested an urgent ministerial hearing following the suspension of voluntary pregnancy termination services at Garcia de Orta Hospital, raising concerns that abortion access is becoming a right in name only.
Rui Lázaro, president of the INEM Technicians' Union, outlines the motivations behind the upcoming strikes on September 14 and 28, aimed at opposing government measures affecting emergency services.
An IT system error caused significantly inflated emergency waiting times to be displayed for Faro and Portimão hospitals, a claim denied by the ULS Algarve health authority.
The Ministry of Health denies reversing surgery rules but will form a working group to redefine minor surgeries following concerns over the SINACC digital system's impact on waiting lists.
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 Portuguese Ministry of Health is classifying online prescription renewals as remote consultations, incurring a 30-euro cost per request, a practice justified by the ACSS as a necessary clinical assessment.
The UK government and unions have finalized a two-phase pay increase agreement for diagnostic and therapeutic technicians, set to be fully implemented by 2027 following performance evaluations and career path restructuring.
Patients with severe heart disease face critical delays in accessing percutaneous valve replacement (TAVI), leading to preventable mortality and disability for those ineligible for traditional surgery.
The INEM Workers' Commission has raised alarms over critical failures in the new OnCall computer system used by emergency dispatch centers, demanding immediate clarification from leadership regarding risks to resource deployment.
A serious and technically supported public discussion is essential regarding the future training of professionals who provide specialised pre-hospital emergency medical care.
The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians argues that a recent death in Taipas highlights systemic failures in the INEM emergency response model, specifically regarding resource allocation.
The Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada faced temporary emergency department closures due to staffing roster issues and an influx of births, while separate concerns arise over the closure of a Family Health Unit in Alverca due to facility maintenance failures.
The Central Administration of the Health System is conducting a phased update of the National User Registry throughout July, affecting approximately 20 million records to streamline the assignment of family doctors.
The NHS is considering prescribing tablets for home physiotherapy, a model already successfully implemented in Beira Baixa that reduced patient waiting times from two years to ten days at a cost of 200 euros per user annually.
The NHS is set to launch a new data centre in Évora by the end of the year, providing real-time redundancy for its existing facility in Porto to ensure service continuity in the event of system failures.
The article critiques the systemic misclassification of clinical waiting times as 'social' admissions, while also addressing the shift in focus within USF reforms and the overall exhaustion of healthcare services.
Professionals guarantee they are available for greater integration with the National Health Service, but the mechanisms to allow this are lacking. This will be one of the topics debated between May 28 and 30 at the 15th Congress of the National Association of Pharmacies, for which Expresso is a media partner.
Infarmed introduces the new Sinats evaluation system to ensure NHS reimbursement for obesity medication is contingent upon proven clinical and economic value through risk-sharing models.
The Garcia de Orta Hospital faces potential overcrowding and staffing shortages as it becomes a regional hub following the permanent closure of the Barreiro obstetrics emergency department.
INEM pre-hospital emergency technicians have launched an indefinite strike targeting administrative tasks to demand the full implementation of operational protocols, while maintaining essential rescue services.
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising tuberculosis diagnosis by enabling rapid identification via chest X-rays, helping to combat the disease's stigma and improve early intervention for respiratory conditions.
Orthopaedic surgeons, urologists, and endocrinologists from Gaia Hospital are visiting health centres to provide consultations. This initiative enhances accessibility and reduces hospital overload.
Évora Hospital has become the first public institution in Portugal to implement an AI system called Genius Digital Imager for cervical cancer detection. This innovative technology enhances the accuracy of screening by using AI algorithms and high-resolution image analysis to identify precancerous and cancerous lesions. The system aims to improve healthcare in the Alentejo region by ensuring efficient and accurate diagnoses, while also emphasizing the importance of prevention in combating cervical cancer.
One month after storm Kristin, the Leiria hospital continues to grapple with the aftermath of the disaster, which saw 177 polytrauma patients flood the emergency department in just six hours. Healthcare professionals faced significant challenges, including a lack of communication and blocked roads, forcing patients to arrive in their own vehicles. As attention shifted from the storm's immediate impact, underlying issues in the healthcare system have resurfaced, highlighting ongoing chaos and the need for improved public safety policies.
An elderly woman tragically passed away in the emergency room of Gracia de Orta Hospital in Almada while waiting for medical attention after being triaged and moved to the clinical observation area.
Despite repeated technical assessments, confirmed financial capacity and clear structural proposals, the SNS and INEM keep failing to deliver timely emergency responses. This analysis points to implementation gaps — weak governance, fragmented coordination between national and regional bodies, staffing shortages and poor resource allocation — rather than lack of solutions; the result is delayed care that harms patients (including expats) and undermines public wellbeing. Addressing the problem requires transparent accountability, an independent audit of operational bottlenecks, data-driven redistribution of resources and political commitment to implement already-defined reforms.
Admiral Gouveia e Melo has urged a change in health leadership, saying the Government should resign if it cannot resolve systemic problems in the healthcare system. He accuses the State of failing across the board, criticises missed deadlines for delivering results and calls for accountability and urgent action to protect patients and medical services. The remarks frame the crisis as a leadership and policy failure with direct implications for care delivery and public confidence.
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.
