The Minister of Health says there is no point in agreeing on doctors’ work schedules before the elections.

The Minister of Health this Friday considered that there was no point in discussing proposals regarding the working hours of doctors, since legislative elections will be held in March.

“We believe that at this time, with early elections scheduled for March, it makes no sense for the current government to make commitments that could create more difficulties for the functioning of the NHS in the future. [SNS]”, Manuel Pizarro said in a conversation with reporters at the end of the opening of the Center for Advanced Diagnostics and Highly Effective Therapies at the Arcebispo João Crisostomo Hospital (HAJC) in Cantanhede.

This topic has been sidelined in negotiations with medical unions due to the current political crisis.

“We would accept this principle [redução da carga horária] in stages, because we will be in a legislative government capable of promoting a reorganization of the SNS that would ensure that this reduction in medical hours is not accompanied by a reduction in capacity to serve the Portuguese. In these circumstances, it seems to us that there is no point in entering into this agreement for the current government,” he confirmed.

Doctors’ unions and the government failed to reach an agreement at a meeting on Thursday and will meet again on Tuesday, a day before the final vote on the 2024 state budget.

Negotiations have been going on for 19 months, with the National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) demanding a 30% increase, a 35-hour weekly schedule, 12 hours of emergency care and an update to the base salary that would restore purchasing power to the treble level. level for all doctors.

The Independent Doctors’ Union (SIM) accepted a proposal for a 15% increase at a meeting on Thursday, a compromise from the 30% previously demanded.

The Health Ministry unveiled a new proposal on Thursday for graduated pay increases of 12.7% for early-career doctors, higher than 11% for graduate assistants and 9.6% for doctors at the top of their careers.

Before visiting the Cantanhede hospital, the minister was questioned by the regional coordinator of the Portuguese Nurses Union (SEP) of Coimbra, Paulo Anacleto, who asked for an urgent meeting before December 4 to discuss various issues, such as problems with the point system or with the linking of unreliable services.

If the meeting is not scheduled, Paulo Anacleto said they will contact the Prime Minister.

The official recalled that in November 2022, an agreement was concluded between the government and seven of the eight nurses’ unions.

“This agreement allowed more than 18.5 thousand nurses to reclassify professional positions with increased remuneration and payment of this increase retroactively to January 2022,” he emphasized.

Manuel Pizarro acknowledged that there are problems with this scoring system that need to be addressed, adding that the government supports hospital authorities in scoring fairly so that all nurses have the opportunity to undergo professional retraining.