The amount allocated to the 39 ULS -- which comprise hospitals and health centers -- is included in the activity report that the executive director of the SNS, Fernando Araújo, who resigned at the end of April, submitted to the Government on Tuesday and which had been requested by the Minister of Health within a period of 60 days.

"The funding model has several limitations, first and foremost because it is a different approach compared to the model in force to date, based on a history with a diametrically opposed logic", states the document released today and which was submitted before the deadline set by Ana Paula Martins.

The DE-SNS warns that, therefore, it should be considered as a first version of a new ULS funding model, which "requires improvement and continuous revision in the coming years, in order to adjust more adequately to reality".

The body created to modernize and organize the SNS network acknowledges that the stratification instruments of the new model, which provides for criteria such as capitation, population characterization and complexity and differentiation of care, "are not perfect and can bias the complexity value of some entities".

"The heterogeneity of the various ULS was also considered, which, both due to their differentiation and the principle of free access and circulation of users, leads to the provision of care to users outside their area of coverage, and the balance of patient flow was thus considered in the funding", the report states.

According to the data now released, the funding model provides for a total of approximately 11.6 billion euros for the 39 ULS, with those of São João (706 million), Coimbra (826 million), Lisbon North (680 million) and Lisbon Central (680 million) receiving the largest shares.

In view of the different hospital realities, the DE-SNS also introduced mechanisms that made it possible to continue to finance "fairly all the demands that the university ULS of the SNS" already provide, "never financially harming any of the institutions" compared to the contracts that existed previously.

The body hitherto led by physician Fernando Araújo also stresses that, during 2023, this new funding model was defined for the ULS, through "rigorous work, with much discussion, always proactive, and with a final result that meets the initial objective, covering the planned dimensions".

As for the healthcare aspect for users, the executive management argues that, taking into account that the SNS reform is underway, with a new management model that came into force in January of this year, "it is expected that 2025 will be the year in which all this investment in improving the response will be best verified".

"The increase in accessibility, translated into the healthcare commitment, will allow the resolution of the oldest pending needs and, at the same time, bring the production carried out closer to that provided for in the guaranteed response times, in accordance with the legislation in force", the document states.

As for public investment, the DE-SNS acknowledges that "there is a factual difficulty" in its implementation, "not only due to the complexity of the processes, but also due to the litigation often generated".

"For the year 2024, the investment forecast is high. Of the proposed investments, 19% are being implemented and 91% are identified as very high priority to high priority", the document states, stressing that it is "of utmost importance to take advantage of the financing lines now available" in the 2030 Program in the PRR.

Fernando Araújo submitted his resignation on April 23, together with his team, claiming that he did not want to be an obstacle to the Government in the policies and measures it deemed necessary to implement.

The Ministry of Health announced today that it had chosen physician António Gandra d'Almeida to replace Fernando Araújo as executive director of the SNS and added that the lieutenant colonel has extensive experience in medical emergencies.

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