Leiria’s emergency service will spend nights without cardiology and surgery in October

In October, there will be no nights for cardiology and surgery specialists in the emergency department of Leiria Hospital Center as doctors refuse to exceed 150 hours of overtime, a FNAM source told Lusa.

The National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) announced this Thursday that doctors at the Leiria Hospital, mainly specialized in surgery, cardiology and pediatrics, will exercise in October the right to legally refuse to exceed 150 hours of overtime.

“In the surgical service, we already received calls in April, but only from October will doctors be able to fully take advantage of this right. Between 90 and 95% of physicians will exercise their legal right to refuse 150 hours of overtime. In pediatrics, all colleagues will exercise this right, and in the emergency department there will be eight nights without cardiology,” Sandra Hilario, FNAM representative and surgeon at the Santo Andre Hospital in Leiria, told Luse.

According to the doctor, also in the specialty of internal medicine, “there are several colleagues who have already submitted projects.”

Sandra Hilario warned that “surgical restrictions are expected, especially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, probably without a surgeon’s schedule in case of external emergencies.”

“In cardiology, this is a concern because there are green routes, namely the coronary green route,” he warned, noting that in pediatrics it was possible to carry out the scales, but without following “what is prescribed by the Order of Physicians as a minimum.” Recommendations from emergency specialists,” he emphasized.

The union leader said the restrictions also apply to the emergency obstetrics department, “which has already been closed for several days this month due to a lack of vacancies in the hospital, as well as staff shortages.”

The FNAM caravan across the country arrived this Thursday in Leiria, where explanations are planned about the right to refuse exceeding the legal limit of 150 hours of overtime and about full dedication.

“As physicians, we have every right to practice our profession to the fullest, helping, monitoring, and treating users without being exhausted or even burned out,” as many physicians already are, Sandra Hilarius said.

“They [Governo] They say, as “marketing”, that doctors will be increased, but they must explain what this supposed increase is connected with. Doctors will continue to work 40 hours a week, and part of this time, in the case of colleagues who are no longer providing emergency care, must work after 17:00 and devote at least one Saturday a month to normal time.” he explained.

Doctors working urgently “will be forced to work 250 hours overtime, which is not at all correct and not legal.”

The established “right to compensatory rest for night work with loss of working time” ceases to exist.

“This means saying that a doctor who works at night has the right to go and rest because the next day he is not well enough to continue to observe and treat patients with dignity and correctly and with less chance of error,” he said. .

With full dedication, Sandra Hilario explained, “the doctor must compensate for rest time,” that is, “he will have to work on weekends to compensate for night work.”

This new model, according to the FNAM leader, “requires doctors to work an average of 48 hours a week.”

The caravan will gather outside Leiria Hospital at 1pm and doctors will call on the population to unite to “save the National Health System”.

“This is FNAM’s call for the community to join forces with doctors and raise awareness of the fact that the NHS is sick and really needs help.”

Sandra Hilario also emphasized that “the population is the focus of FNAM and doctors.”

“We want to feel rested and be able to monitor and treat our patients well. Therefore, we cannot be completely tired,” he emphasized.