In an exclusive interview with SIC Notícias, Pedro Simões Coelho, Professor at Nova IMS and the coordinator of the Sustainable Health Index project, shed light on the pressing challenges encountered within the National Health Service (NHS). While acknowledging the hiring of a thousand doctors as a positive stride, he iterated that the issue for the NHS lies not in the lack of supply but in the persisting vacancies left unfilled.

Delving into the recent salary agreement, he underscored its importance while suggesting a comprehensive assessment in conjunction with other decisions that could markedly impact healthcare professionals. Emphasizing the urgent need for structural reforms in the NHS, Pedro Simões Coelho highlighted enduring hurdles such as prolonged waiting times and disruptions in emergency services, clarifying that the effects of recent measures are anticipated only by 2024.

According to findings from the Sustainable Health Index, healthcare spending has surged by 30% in the last five years. However, a simultaneous 20% decline in productivity suggests an imperative for the NHS to adopt a more flexible model that revitalizes healthcare professionals' performance.