The Portuguese National Health Service presented the new Global Reference Framework, which establishes goals and projections for the public health system. This document anticipates that family doctor coverage will remain stagnant at 85.3% of the population until 2028.
The document reveals that the SNS is expected to maintain this level of coverage without significant growth, which represents a challenge for the national health system. This stagnation occurs in a context of growing demand for primary healthcare services.
In contrast, the projections indicate that the number of public health service workers will exceed 160,000 by 2028. This growth in staff aims to meet the growing needs of the population.
The Global Reference Framework thus serves as a strategic planning tool for the SNS, identifying both the persistent challenges and the objectives for strengthening human resources over the coming years.
