“I believe the national consensus remains unchanged regarding the need to alter and reform the current system and practices related to service provision work,” stated António Leitão Amaro during a press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting.
The subject at hand is the regulation of medical service work approved by the executive at the end of October. This initiative aims to regulate payments to healthcare professionals and introduce a regime of incompatibilities.
Through this measure, the Government seeks to reduce the payment discrepancies between doctors contracted by the National Health Service (SNS) and those working as service providers, known as ‘tarefeiros’.
Leitão Amaro emphasized that the Government stands firm in its conclusion that the current situation needs change and “will implement this change,” which includes a set of incompatibilities and introduces a “simple, quick, and stable mechanism” to incorporate the freelance doctors into the SNS.
“I believe there is unanimous agreement that the current situation is not adequate,” the official noted, highlighting concerns not only about abuse cases but also the expenditure levels reached by employing doctors not affiliated with the SNS.
A July report by the Public Finance Council indicated that hiring medical services to address the shortage of specialists in local health units (ULS) saw a 3.6% increase in total contracted hours in 2024, amounting to nearly 230 million euros, up 11.7% compared to 2023.
At the end of October, the executive proposed a solution to “resolve inequity, injustice, and abuses” in this area, stated Leitão Amaro, considering that the amounts paid to ‘tarefeiro’ doctors could be “better allocated” to provide more healthcare to patients.
He also acknowledged that when a “courageous minister” changes the current situation to a “regime with more equity, justice, and appreciation for the SNS,” these changes “may be uncomfortable and not appreciated by some who felt the situation was personally more advantageous.”
This Government stance was expressed on the same day it was revealed that a group of over a thousand service-provider doctors is preparing to strike emergency services when the Government’s proposed legislation to lower the hourly wages takes effect.
According to the newspaper Público, these ‘tarefeiro’ doctors, having coordinated via a WhatsApp group, intend to halt National Health Service (SNS) emergency services for at least three days.
