The Ministry of Health announced the opening of a competition to appoint 250 SNS doctors. “This exceptional license allows, at least until the opening of the competitive procedure for the regular period of final evaluation of medical training in 2024, to ensure the speed of recruitment processes for doctors in the SNS in cases where they are needed,” specifies the order signed by the Secretaries of State for the Treasury and Health.
As a rule, there are two competitions each year to recruit young doctors: one around May and one at the end of the year, when the two training seasons for the specialty end. The Ministry of Health said in a statement that the exceptional measure announced now is intended “for new specialists who have not been placed in recent competitions and for specialist doctors who have completed their medical training, and do not have legal work.” An agreement for an indefinite period previously concluded with any service, commercial entity or government body.”
According to the sendwhich comes into force as of Monday, local health units (ULS) and the three Portuguese oncology institutes are allowed this year, “in exceptional cases of clearly justified urgency, to conclude up to 250 health contracts open to work, based on the medical professional assistant category.” , to fill a position in employee maps in public business entities “built into SNS.
Recruitment is based on a prior opinion from the Executive Directorate of the SNS and will take into account the health unit's care profile, the shortage of doctors in the specialty in question, the expectations of a vacancy in the staff map and the budget distribution. All recruitment that may be performed monthly must be sent to the central administration of the health system (ACSS).
In the memorandum sent, the Ministry of Health stated that this recruitment “strengthens the autonomy of SNS institutions” and aims to “ensure timely staff reinforcement” in the units. In recent years, the number of reforms has been high. Last year, according to Caixa Geral de Aposentações data released by PÚBLICO, 822 doctors retired.
This year, according to ACSS information, there are 1,901 doctors in a position to retire due to their age. This number, as the ACSM explained, includes doctors who will be 66 or older in 2024 and others who have already reached that age in the past and have not yet asked to retire.
The Ministry of Health stated, in the statement, that last year ended with “a positive balance in the recruitment of doctors” to the National Security Service. “In December, 31,307 doctors were working at SNS, including specialists and trainees. This represents a net gain of 286 additional doctors compared to the end of 2022, offsetting the impact of departures due to retirement and contract terminations.
He adds that in 2023, 1,485 doctors completed their specialized training, and 1,336 of them were appointed to hospitals and health centres.
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