"Modernization is good, but patient safety cannot be put at risk": Serious Warning from Doctors to the New Surgery System

Digitalization and system reforms in the healthcare system always look great on paper. However, when we come to the implementation of the work in the field, that is, the side of the hospital, the operating room and the physicians who come into direct contact with the patient, the situation may not always proceed as smoothly as expected.

Exactly such a crisis has been on the agenda of the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS) lately. The new National System of Access to Examinations and Surgeries (SINACC), which the government plans to make publicly available, faces serious objections from doctors and the Portuguese Chamber of Physicians (OM). Due to technical glitches and deficiencies noticed in the system, it is warned that the application must undergo comprehensive clinical validation before being rolled out throughout the country.

What Risks Does a Rushed System Carry?

In fact, this is not the first time the Chamber of Physicians has raised its voice on this issue. Thanks to previous warnings, the Ministry of Health had to postpone this new model, which was normally planned to come into force on August 1, and extend the trial phase. However, concerns have not yet been resolved.

The main risks that stand out in line with the evaluations of physicians from different specialties are:

Access and Priority Confusion: New adjustments to minor surgery and patient referral criteria risk undermining the clinical triage of patients and disrupting traceability across the care journey.

Medical Codings That Do Not Reflect Reality: The terminology and pricing scales used in the new model do not fully reflect the clinical complexity of the cases and the medical resources spent.

Decline in Care Capacity: It is feared that changes in medical device financing, team planning and additional service delivery will reduce the operational capacity of hospitals and extend surgery waiting times.

As Carlos Cortes, President of the Chamber of Physicians, stated: Attempting to change patient treatment processes without prior technical and clinical verification in the field may create crises that are much bigger than the problems that are intended to be solved.

What is the Field?

Physicians are certainly not against the modernization of the system; However, they argue that this should not only consist of efficiency-oriented figures.

The demands put forward for the safe implementation of the system are very clear: The gradual introduction of the model with pilot projects, the preparation of clear operational guidelines for the teams, the establishment of emergency mechanisms and, most importantly, a thorough review of the technical tables with the participation of specialist physician colleges.

It is a fact that any reform that does not center patient safety and regional equality cannot be long-lasting in the field. It is critical for the future of the process that the Ministry heeds these warnings and deepens joint work at the technical table.

Source: LUSA (Natasha Donn, August 6, 2026)

Image Source: Lusa (Carlos Cortes, President of the Chamber of Physicians)