The National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF) remains the only workplace where doctors do not have access to the full-time dedication regime and has not applied the Collective Work Agreement in effect since July 1, signed by the minister herself.
The scenario is similar in prison hospitals, overseen by the Directorate General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP), where the full-time dedication regime, although planned by the government, is also not being applied, the union warns in a statement.
The union believes “these inconsistencies are not due to a lack of resources but a lack of political decision-making.”
The union acknowledges the statements made by the Minister of Justice, Rita Júdice, at the National Congress of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, and her vague reference to “revitalization and talent retention,” while ignoring specific problems and long-identified solutions.
“There is no revitalization or talent retention when careers are replaced by contracts,” it warns.
In the statement, the union reveals data from the INMLCF’s 2024 Management Report, approved in March 2025, showing a 20% increase in a year in expenses with external providers (on contract basis), reaching 8.1 million euros.
According to the document, personnel expenses grew by around 10%, with more service providers (459) than public contract workers (342).
“For doctors, the difference is even starker: 297 providers compared to only 71 on the official payroll,” the union highlights.
The union argues “these contradictions show that political discourse does not match budget execution and reality.”
It notes repeatedly requesting a meeting with the Minister of Justice, without response so far.
“The time elapsed and the severity and urgency of the issues already presented demand a strong reinforcement of the need for scheduling a definitive meeting to end existing blockages and implement pending solutions,” it emphasizes.
The union calls for the implementation of the full-time dedication regime for INMLCF doctors, ensuring parity with their colleagues in the National Health Service and other services, the full application of the current Collective Work Agreement, respecting the legal framework.
It also requests the opening of regular medical competitions for the INMLCF and DGRSP, “ensuring predictability and transparency,” and the appointment of service directors for the prison hospitals and the application of the full-time dedication regime in the DGRSP.
“The Ministry of Justice continues to delay solutions, act outside the legal framework, and waste resources by maintaining dependence on external services instead of stabilizing careers and strengthening teams,” the union laments.
