But waiting lists have barely moved…
Portugal’s SNS national health service (more habitually in the news for its failings) “broke the record for the number of surgical operations”, during the first half of this year. More than 466,000 operations took place, according to the Executive Directorate (DE-SNS), but they have done little to dent waiting lists.
“According to the data extracted on August 19 on the number of people assisted by the SNS, accumulated from January to July, from 2010 to 2024, it was found that the SNS has never performed as many operations as it did in the first half of 2024, with 466,668 patients operated on. Compared to the same period in 2023, this is 8.5% more operations carried out, almost 40,000 more operations,” said the DE-SNS said in a statement.
The figures show that the SNS “is fulfilling its mission, guaranteeing citizens access to healthcare”, associating the greater number of operations carried out with the greater number of consultations, which “has also led to more people registering for surgery”.
“Despite an increase in registrations, the SNS responded with almost 40,000 more operations and a slight increase in the waiting list for surgery of 0.3%. A total of 20,666 operations were carried out on cancer patients between the start of OncoStop, between May and August, including almost all of the 9,374 operations that were on the oncology LIC (surgical registration list) on April 30 – the date that marks the starting point of Oncostop (a plan that aims to regulate the waiting list for oncology operations). Operations that have not been carried out have been scheduled,” the statement continues.
The DE-SNS says it is monitoring the situation and has instructed local health units to assess the possibility of scheduling patients above the maximum guaranteed response time (TMRG) ‘’by the end of the year‘’.
“Data also shows greater access to surgical care, with an increased number of patients being put on the waiting list, 6.7% more than in the same period in 2023”, adds the statement, which considers the increase a reflection of greater access to the SNS, with more consultations, diagnoses and operations carried out.
In other words, despite the constant media focus on constraints in obstetric emergency care, other parts of the SNS health service have been performing ‘better than in the recent past’, with indications that this is set to continue.
Source material: LUSA
