The order no. 12497/2025, signed by the Minister of State and Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and the Secretary of State for Health Management, Francisco Rocha Gonçalves, mandates the allocation of capital injections to cover accumulated losses for 42 entities in the sector. This includes 39 local health units across the country and the Portuguese Institute of Oncology (IPO) in Coimbra, Lisbon, and Porto.
The decree specifies that the amounts to be transferred should be used to settle outstanding payments over 90 days old to external suppliers that have no debts to the Tax and Customs Authority and to Social Security.
Costs related to overdue payments, such as default interest, are excluded.
The selection of debts to be paid must be conducted based on the age of their due date, excluding debts to National Health Service (SNS) services and establishments or the State.
Post-implementation monitoring and control of these criteria will be handled by the Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF), with corresponding oversight by the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS).
Among the 42 public business entities included, the largest sum will be allocated to the São José Local Health Unit (over 72.1 million euros), followed by the Gaia/Espinho Local Health Unit (around 32 million euros) and the Santa Maria Local Health Unit (approximately 31.3 million euros).
Entities receiving more than 20 million euros include the Algarve Local Health Unit (29.9 million euros), the Western Lisbon Local Health Unit (23.6 million euros), the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Local Health Unit (about 23.6 million euros), and the Coimbra Local Health Unit (around 22.3 million euros).
The IPO in Lisbon will receive an additional 14.7 million euros, whereas the IPOs in Coimbra and Porto will obtain approximately 8.3 and 2.9 million euros, respectively.
The government justifies these transfers as necessary to “ensure the sustainability of SNS entities providing healthcare services, improve their operational efficiency, within the adequate resources available, and recognize the good performance of these public business entities.”
It further states, “The sustained reduction of payment deadlines for public business entities within the SNS demands commitment and the establishment of structural rules by each entity to prevent the accumulation of new overdue payments and to reduce the existing debt ‘stock’.”
