In Portugal, all training positions for new anesthesiologists are occupied, which means there is interest in the specialty. Specialized training in this field takes five years, and between 2020 and 2025, 451 doctors completed their anesthesiology residency.
However, the NHS faces a significant shortage of professionals. Of the 2,520 doctors registered with the Medical Association in the specialty of anesthesiology, only half work in the public health system.
This situation reveals a contrast between the training capacity, which is being utilized, and the NHS's difficulty in retaining the specialists it trains, losing half of its professionals to the private sector or other countries.
