O Relatório Nacional sobre Portugal foi apresentado na Assembleia Geral da Federação Europeia de Médicos Assalariados (FEMS), nos dias 4 e 5 de outubro, em Riga, na Letónia.
NATIONAL REPORT PORTUGAL - October 2019
The Socialist Party (PS) maintains as government, as the parliamentary elections approach.
The medical unions consider that the government shows no real intention of negotiating. The medical doctors' strike, held in July, had no impact in this situation, and so the meetings with the minister of Health were stopped months ago.
A new Basic Health Law was approved, but the role of private healthcare in the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS) remains ambiguous.
There's no relevant improvement regarding medical doctors' demands to acknowledge. None of the matters that imply budget enhancement is being seriously discussed.
Public service reforms keep getting on hold, with a serious impact on the SNS.
The main problems remain the same:
- Salary stagnation of physicians in the NHS,
- The opening of an insufficient number of specific training places for all candidates,
- Sub-budgeting and lack of necessary reforms in the SNS, with insufficient response capacity to citizens.
We may add that Portuguese medical emigration is also showing signs of increasing.
We hope that after the elections a new chapter of more fruitfull negotiation may arise.
The two Trade Unions (FNAM and SIM) maintain a policy of convergent action on the essential aspects of defending the interests of doctors.
The Portuguese Medical Association and the main medical organizations have shown public support in this process.
October 2019