In a statement, José Bourdain, president of the National Association of Continuing Care (ANCC), disclosed that he was informed in a Monday meeting with the Secretary of State for Health Management, that all entities unable to complete PRR-funded projects by June 30, 2026, should halt their efforts. The funds, instead, could be redirected to hospital equipment.
Bourdain expressed his shock at the announcement, noting that on April 17, several PRR contracts were signed publicly for continuous care in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, which he now regards as “electoral propaganda.”
“Knowing they must stop and will not receive these funds, these institutions face severe financial hardships, as they were counting on this non-repayable money, combined with their resources, for those who have them, or through bank loans, to successfully complete the projects,” he explained.
He recalled that ANCC had repeatedly highlighted delays in the tendering process for the PRR under previous and current governments. Bourdain found it surprising that during the contract signing ceremony this month, a “new notice was announced for the remaining available beds.”
To counteract these delays and ensure the use of PRR funds, ANCC had requested specific legislation (a sort of ‘fast track’) to expedite licensing throughout the process.
Despite ANCC’s ongoing alerts, the Government and the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) “encouraged private entities (both for-profit and non-profit) to apply (…), reiterating that there was still time.”
He noted that many institutions invested hundreds of thousands of euros in projects, secured bank loans, and some even proceeded to public tenders (some of which failed due to rising costs), and have already signed contracts.
In the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, this situation impacts “around half of the PRR target, which accounts for more than 2,000 beds in continuous care,” Bourdain said.
“In the municipality of Sintra, the second largest in the country, we are talking about approximately 400 beds, none of which will move forward,” he added.
ANCC deems this situation “unacceptable,” noting: “All delays are solely the responsibility of the Government and various public bodies (which do not operate within the legally prescribed timelines) and have delayed the entire project execution process, including the construction of the buildings.”
“This could lead some institutions to bankruptcy,” warned José Bourdain, who sent a letter to the Prime Minister, urging Luís Montenegro’s intervention.
The letter, seen by this correspondent, highlights that “many entities invested hundreds of thousands of euros in projects, secured bank loans, and some even advanced to public tenders (with some failing due to the constant price increases).”
The association criticizes the careless handling of the situation and requests Luís Montenegro urgently clarify the consequences for entities that initiated projects (either through public tender or already underway) and do not complete them by June 30, 2026.
“Entities representing the social sector are part of a PRR monitoring committee, they were encouraged and never informed (…), and now we are all in shock,” he stated.
As a solution, he proposes several options, including extending the project completion deadline: “In the so-called PRR mobilizing agendas for companies at large, expenses can be executed until December 31, 2026, so we are talking about an additional six-month period, which could make a significant difference, with those mobilizing agendas falling into non-repayable funds.”
He acknowledges that to correct this “huge mistake,” the Government could provide state budget funds or possibly utilize funds from the Portugal 2030 programs: “I have no idea if it’s possible, but there are much longer deadlines, possibly until 2030, which would give us peace of mind and adequate time to complete these projects.”
