[Primary care in Portugal]

The economic crisis and deterioration of the Portuguese National Health service has forced professionals to leave the country. The Portuguese National Health System was introduced in 1976, but it has been unable to provide citizens with the social and health advantages of an equality of access and free national health system. The Portuguese National Health System is financed by taxes. However, a 35% of its incomes are from private sources. The health minister decides the budget, and it is based on an historical financing plus a per capita system. Portuguese citizens and immigrants are entitled to free health care, but there is a co-payment for care, diagnostic, pharmacy, and emergency care. Health care provision is a mixture of public and private health care at a regional level. It leads to fragmentation of services and greater inequalities. Doctors are civil servants. Salary is regulated and it depends on seniority and on-call shifts. Primary care activities are similar to those of their Spanish counterparts. General practitioners have gatekeeper function, but the system is imperfect, and patients with private insurance get direct access to the specialist. Specialist training is similar to the training system in Spain. Continuing education is not regulated. The Portuguese Health System has been trying to become a national health system since 1979. Political instability, fragmentation of services, lack of clarity between public and private and co-payments are important constraints. Inequalities are an important problem to reconsider while discussing a national health system.