The Portuguese Medical Order (OM) advocated for the creation of a national strategy to attract and retain anesthesiology specialists in the National Health Service. The OM warned of the severe shortage of professionals in this area, estimating a deficit of approximately 600 anesthesiologists in the NHS.
This lack of specialists has been compromising the functioning of operating rooms throughout the country, resulting in surgery cancellations and long waiting times for patients. The situation particularly affects hospitals in the interior and smaller health units.
The Order warned that without urgent measures to attract and retain doctors, the situation is likely to worsen in the coming years. Professionals point to working conditions, low salaries, and lack of career advancement opportunities as the main reasons for the exodus of specialists to the private sector or abroad.
The OM advocates for an integrated plan that includes improvements in working conditions, salary increases, and more robust training programs to ensure the NHS has the necessary anesthesiologists to meet the population's needs.
