Number of people without family doctor in Portugal climbs to 1.67 million

The number of people without a family doctor in Portugal has risen by almost 66,000 in the first five months of the year, pushing the total to nearly 1.67 million.

Official statistics from the SNS (National Health Service) Transparency Portal show that the number of users without an assigned family doctor increased from 1,601,018 in January to 1,666,823 in May – an increase of 65,805 people.

Lisbon and the Tagus Valley remains by far the worst-affected region, accounting for 1,165,496 people without a family doctor in May – around 35,000 more than at the start of the year. By contrast, the North has fewer than 100,000 people waiting to be assigned a GP.

The figures also show that the number of SNS users with an assigned family doctor fell slightly during the same period, dropping by 12,131 to 9.12 million.

The latest numbers underline how sharply access to primary healthcare has deteriorated in recent years. In September 2019, the number of people without a family doctor stood at 641,228 – around one million fewer than today.

Health Minister Ana Paula Martins argued this week that the increase reflects Portugal’s growing population and the continued registration of new residents in the SNS.

“We have new registrations of people living in Portugal every month,” she said, adding that with around 1.5 million more people living in the country than five years ago, the health service needs to adapt “very quickly” to the increased demand.

However, the Council of Public Finances (Conselho das Finanças Públicas) warned this week that the problem is likely to worsen as large numbers of family doctors approach retirement.

In a report on the sustainability of the SNS, the independent body said the ageing workforce in general and family medicine could further restrict access to primary healthcare, increasing pressure on hospital emergency departments as more patients bypass health centres.

The government has attempted to boost staffing by opening 711 vacancies for newly qualified family doctors in May, alongside 109 additional posts in underserved areas.

In brighter news, the Algarve’s local health authority ULS Algarve announced in June that over 26,000 Algarve residents are due to gain a family doctor following the hiring of 15 new GPs.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.