In Portugal, there is less than one ophthalmologist per 10 thousand inhabitants. The NHS is short of 127 specialists

According to the College of Ophthalmology of the Order of Physicians, Portugal has less than one ophthalmologist per 10,000 inhabitants, ranking ninth at European level, indicating a shortage of 127 specialists in the SNA.

Data published this Friday shows that the number of registered ophthalmologists in Portugal is 0.9 per 10,000 inhabitants, a value that drops to 0.6 if only ophthalmologists under the age of 70 are taken into account.

However, the figures for working in the National Health Service (NHS) are lower: 0.45 per 10,000 inhabitants, or 0.35 if you include professionals on full-time contracts, i.e. working at least 40 hours a week.

According to the Medical Association (AM), although the number of ophthalmologists in Portugal is “in line” with the international recommendation (0.5 per 10,000 inhabitants), “there is a shortage of 127 specialists working in the SNA”, reflecting the need to attract and retain specialist doctors in the system public health.

Compared to other countries, Portugal has more ophthalmologists than countries such as Spain (0.89 per 10,000), France (0.88 per 10,000) or the UK (0.22 per 10,000).

“The figures for the specialty of ophthalmology, although they correspond to European figures, must be analyzed carefully, taking into account the age of doctors and the needs of the Portuguese population,” warns Carlos Cortes, president of the Order of Physicians, quoted in the statement.

In the note, the president emphasizes that the sustainability of the SNS “depends on its ability to attract medical specialists,” considering it “urgent” to create a balance between personal and professional life, as well as providing time for independent study and building an “attractive medical career.”

“Only then will there be more specialist doctors in the NHS,” he insists.

The number of ophthalmologists in Portugal has increased in recent years, following the trend of increasing numbers of doctors.

According to the National Institute of Statistics, from 1991 to 2021 the number of doctors has more than doubled (+107%), and the number of ophthalmologists has grown by 161%. The number of ophthalmologists per 10,000 residents increased over the same period from 0.4 to 1.1 (0.9 taking into account those who are actively registered with OM).

According to a study by the OM College of Ophthalmology, 97.3% of ophthalmologists are of Portuguese nationality, more than half (57.6%) are over 50 years of age and 59.6% are men. In 46.7% of cases, specific training was carried out in the Lisbon region, 27.3% completed an internship with additional training and 9.5% received a doctorate.

According to study coordinator and former president of the Specialized College of Ophthalmology, Augusto Magalhães, although the number of ophthalmologists in Portugal is higher than the OECD average, “the shortage of specialists in the National Health System is noticeable.”

“It is therefore important to identify government health policies and urgent actions that can retain and attract more ophthalmologists to the NHS,” he argues.

The study also allows us to conclude that over the next five years, the annual training of 20-23 new specialists will compensate for the cessation of professional activity of ophthalmologists (due to retirement or for any other reason), with a positive balance of more than 0. 8%.

This work, published in the Portuguese publication Ata Médica, was developed by the Specialized College of Ophthalmology of the Order of Physicians in collaboration with the Higher School of Progestagenism and Technology of Santarem between December 1, 2021 and February 14, 2022. The response rate was 64.7% (out of 910 registered ophthalmologists).