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Health systems in transition
Portugal
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Skill mix in the NHS, meaning a more efficient combination of health
professions, is a discussion that was only recently initiated in Portugal.
Nowadays, the training and qualifications of nurses and allied health professions
encompass wide-ranging and substantial knowledge, but their role in the health
system has not changed and the health system is still centred on the physician.
The promotion of the recently created role of Family Nurse is still awaiting
further government measures.
Finally, civil society participation in the design and evaluation of health
policies, and the empowerment of citizens are important challenges for the
Portuguese health system. The creation, in 2016, of the National Health Council,
which includes representatives of patients, health workers, municipalities,
universities and many other entities, can represent an important step in this
regard. In May 2016, the Ministry of Health published a law facilitating the
referral of NHS users from primary care settings to outpatient consultations in
NHS hospitals out of their referral area. This has increased the freedom of choice
within the NHS and constitutes an important step towards patient empowerment.