The Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) received a total of 41 expressions of interest for the management of health centers by the social and private sectors in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, Leiria and Algarve. These applications fall within the scope of the creation of Model C Family Health Units (USF-C), a measure designed to address the shortage of family doctors in some regions of the country.
According to ACSS, expressions of interest were submitted until December 30, 2024, covering eligible areas in the municipalities of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, Leiria and Algarve. This new management model was regulated through an ordinance published on November 25, with the period for collecting applications starting two days later.
Algarve among priority regions
The Government plans to create 20 USF-C in this initial phase, of which five are destined for the Algarve, a region particularly affected by the lack of family doctors. This model aims to respond to local needs where primary care coverage has been below the national average for more than a year and where there are a minimum of 4,000 users without an assigned family doctor.
In the Algarve, the implementation of these units is part of a broader strategy to reduce the number of people without a family doctor, which at a national level decreased by 7.5% in 2024. Despite this reduction, the number of users without medical coverage was still up from 1.5 million at the end of the year.
Contracts and requirements for USF-C
The USF-C will be managed by entities from the social and private sector through contracts signed with the ACSS, in accordance with the Public Contracts Code. Applications are submitted exclusively electronically and proposals must meet the criteria established in the regulations, including the presence of doctors specializing in general and family medicine and family health nurses. It is important to highlight that the professionals involved cannot have a previous contractual relationship with the public health sector in the last three years.
ACSS will now move forward with an annual contracting proposal, which will be submitted for consideration by the Ministries of Finance and Health. The plan foresees that the first 20 units will come into operation before the end of 2025, covering around 180 thousand users, half of which are in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region.
A response to regional challenges
The creation of USF-C in the Algarve is part of the Health emergency and transformation plan, approved in May 2024. This plan aims to reinforce the response capacity of the National Health System (SNS) in more vulnerable regions, such as the Algarve, which has faced a significant shortage of medical professionals for years.
With the implementation of the USF-C, it is expected not only to improve access to primary health care, but also to offer greater flexibility in the management of the units, promoting care that is closer to the needs of the population.
More information about this process can be found on the website.
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