The Local Health Unit (ULS) of Algarve denied claims of inadequate care or transport issues following the death of a two-year-old child at Faro Hospital. This follows public statements from the leader of the Socialist Party questioning whether a lack of assistance contributed to the death.
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The government is seeking the recovery of overpayments made to 2,937 pensioners due to a calculation error that occurred over several months. Recipients have three options to return the funds: a voluntary lump-sum payment within 30 days of notification, deductions from future monthly pensions (capped at 30% of the net amount), or an installment plan lasting until December 2027.
Increasing numbers of children and youth without acute medical needs are being kept in pediatric psychiatry wards due to a shortage of places in residential care homes. In the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, these social cases now occupy 25% of all available inpatient beds, with some individuals remaining in hospital for years, cut off from school and social interaction.
The board president of ULS Algarve, whom the Minister of Health announced on Monday 9 November 2026 will be dismissed, reportedly received more than 70 emails from the former director of Portimão Hospital's emergency department warning of growing difficulties and risks to patients. In late January, the administration also received an internal technical report warning of structural overload at the emergency departments in Faro and Portimão and the inability to guarantee safety, quality of care, and priority waiting times.