Coimbra's Covões Hospital Ends Walk-In ER, Opens Referral Clinic

Covões Hospital Emergency Unit Converted into Outpatient Care Centre in Coimbra

A quieter emergency room becomes a referral-only clinic

The former emergency department at Coimbra’s Hospital Geral (popularly known as Covões) is no longer available for walk-in emergencies. Instead, the unit has reopened as a Clinical Attendance Centre (CAC) designed to handle only non-urgent acute episodes. Patients must first phone the national helpline SNS 24 or be referred by another hospital before being accepted.

Limited timetable and strict intake rules

The CAC operates every day from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; however, patient registration closes at 6:00 p.m. to ensure all consultations finish by 8:00 p.m. Security staff lock the main doors at 8:30 p.m. and reopen them at 7:30 a.m. the next morning. Daily capacity is capped at 32 people who receive either green or blue Manchester triage wristbands, meaning their condition is considered “not very urgent.”

Health authority explains the downsizing

Unidade Local de Saúde (ULS) de Coimbra, the trust that manages Covões and the Central University Hospitals (HUC), says the decision followed a year-long review. The Covões emergency unit averaged 10–15 episodes per day, compared with approximately 450 a day at the HUC bloc. Managers argue that concentrating teams at the main campus will use specialised staff more efficiently while the CAC still offers same-day assessment for minor ailments closer to home.

Opposition from unions, users and local officials

Nurses’ and doctors’ unions are fiercely critical. The Portuguese Nurses’ Union (SEP) brands the move as the “announced death” of a service that once covered large areas south of Coimbra. The Independent Medical Union (SIM) had already warned in early 2025 that stripping Covões of round-the-clock specialists would leave vulnerable patients facing longer journeys.

Civic group MUSP (Public Services Users Movement) accuses the government of driving demand away from Covões by channelling helpline callers towards private or distant facilities, then citing the resulting low footfall as justification to close the emergency service. The organisation predicts overcrowding at the HUC and calls for the full reopening of Covões.

Politically, the Communist Party (PCP) has demanded the reversal of what it describes as an “erroneous, economically driven” decision. Coimbra’s mayor José Manuel Silva, who had already criticised an overnight shutdown trial in 2024, reiterates that cutting local services undermines the National Health Service’s promise of proximity.

Earlier night-time closure offered mixed lessons

A three-month pilot between July and September 2024 had already limited Covões to daytime activity. ULS Coimbra subsequently reported shorter waiting times at the HUC—70 minutes on average between triage and first medical observation, versus 186 minutes at Covões during the same months of the previous year. While that data was used to support the permanent change, opponents note it covered only summer demand patterns and did not examine ambulance travel distances or long-term system strain.

What patients should do now

• For life-threatening situations (red or orange triage), call the emergency number 112 or head directly to the HUC bloc.• For mild but acute problems, call SNS 24 (808 24 24 24). The helpline can book one of the 32 daily slots at the Covões CAC if appropriate.• Traditional walk-in attendance at Covões without prior contact is no longer available.

Next steps and pending evaluations

ULS Coimbra says it will monitor demand at the CAC and publish quarterly figures on waiting times and patient outcomes. No comprehensive study on ambulance mileage or crowding at HUC since the full closure has yet been released, but health authorities acknowledge that a formal impact report is due in 2026.

Broader context

The overhaul at Covões mirrors a national strategy aimed at redirecting non-urgent cases toward primary care or scheduled outpatient clinics. Similar conversions have occurred in smaller hospitals in Setúbal, Portalegre and the interior of Alentejo. Supporters argue these moves free up resources for complex emergencies, while critics fear incremental dismantling of local healthcare infrastructure.

For now, Coimbra residents who previously relied on the Covões emergency department will need to adapt to the new triage-first model and the tighter schedule that comes with it.