Despite the missed deadline and a case of non-compliance with administrative procedure code provisions, all entities adhered to the regulations outlined in the decree-law approving the special career for health auxiliary technicians, according to IGAS.
In the report related to the investigation initiated in July of the previous year, IGAS highlighted that the necessary casuistic evaluation of the work positions, through function assessment and cross-referencing with the functional content inherent to the new career, resulted in different interpretations of legal norms, particularly in departments, services, and units engaged in support areas for health care delivery.
The investigation aimed to analyze compliance with the December 2023 decree-law that approved the special career for health auxiliary technicians, encompassing 39 Local Health Units (ULS) within the National Health Service, with a detailed analysis sample of 11.
The decree-law stipulated that workers integrated into the general operational assistant career with a public service employment contract, at the time the decree-law took effect, and performing duties in health care provision, would transition into the special health auxiliary technician career (in various categories). This transition was to be completed via a nominative list within a ten-day period.
However, IGAS reported that most local health units (35) could not meet this deadline, with the creation of the required nominative list extending over the year.
Half of the entities completed this list during May 2024, with full compliance achieved by all ULS in November of the previous year, applying the retroactive transition of affected workers to January 1, 2024.
In November of the previous year, the Portuguese Association of Health Auxiliary Technicians (APTAS) highlighted deficiencies in the law creating the new special career, advocating for its revision.
At that time, it was noted that the coexistence of two regimes caused “discontent among this professional group,” leading to “demotivation and lack of productivity.”
It was explained that health auxiliary technicians were governed by two distinct regimes: the special health auxiliary technician career applicable to integrated workers within the National Health Service (SNS) units and establishments, with public employment status under a public service employment contract, and the health auxiliary technician career.
An APTAS source stated that several complaints had been forwarded to IGAS, explaining that many ULS might be violating the law by transitioning workers with no direct patient contact, such as telephone operators and locksmiths, to the new career.
On this matter, IGAS concluded that despite different interpretations regarding functions appropriately included in the functional content of the new career, “no materially relevant irregularities were found in the application of the said decree-law.”
