Retired Family Doctors Return to the SNS to Reduce Waiting Times and Strengthen Rural Care

In an effort to keep family doctors’ doors open from Viana do Castelo to Vila Real de Santo António, the Portuguese Government has chosen an old-but-vital remedy: bringing seasoned physicians out of retirement. Up to 1,111 doctors who already collect a pension may now re-enter the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) in 2026, and the emergency rule has been prolonged through 2027. Supporters call it pragmatism; critics see a sticking-plaster on a structural wound.

At a glance

• 1,111 retired doctors can sign contracts with the SNS this year, 41 more than in 2025.

• Measure extends the 2010 extraordinary regime until 31 Dec 2027.

• Focus is on general and family medicine, where the retirement wave is sharpest.

• Unions warn of a “temporary fix” that sidelines young specialists.

• Similar comeback schemes exist in the UK, France and Spain, with mixed results.

Why Lisbon turned to its silver generation

Portugal’s health workforce is facing a demographic cliff. According to the Order of Doctors, 45% of family doctors over 65 are inching toward full retirement just as chronic diseases and an ageing population stretch primary care. The Government counts a retirement wave of about 5,000 physicians by 2030, a threat that already leaves 1.5 M citizens without a GP. Inside the SNS, directors worry that the loss of seasoned GPs will widen territorial disparities, adding kilometres to the commute for patients in inland districts. Officials insist the experienced cohort represents the general practice backbone that can buy time until 2001-born graduates finish speciality training.

How the scheme will work between now and 2027

The order published in the Diário da República preserves the exceptional rules first drafted in 2010. Each retiree may receive up to 75% of the salary corresponding to the post held before leaving, on top of a full pension—an arrangement dubbed double-dipping pension by supporters and opponents alike. Contracts are flexible, ranging from a single shift in a rural health centre to full-time service in Lisbon’s hospitals. The decree earmarks a dedicated state budget allocation and includes rural incentives for doctors willing to relocate to under-served municipalities. Although the December 2027 sunset clause suggests temporariness, the measure can be renewed if Parliament agrees.

Pushback from unions and young doctors

Medical unions have not minced words. The FNAM critique brands the policy a temporary fix that delays meaningful reform of the SNS salary grid. SIM echoes the complaint, emphasising career progression and workload. Recent recruitment rounds left hundreds of vacant posts—more than 70% unfilled in Lisboa & Vale do Tejo—which unions link to low pay and unpredictability rather than to a lack of qualified applicants. They warn of a brain drain risk: early-career doctors may flee to the private sector or abroad if salary grid negotiations stall. Government negotiators counter that retiree contracts are optional and will not block permanent positions, arguing the scheme merely cushions the blow while longer-term solutions are designed.

Lessons from London, Paris and Madrid

Portugal is hardly alone in calling back its veterans. In England, the Return to Practice programme and the NHS Emeritus pilot entice consultants with bursaries and pension flexibility. France uses tax breaks to lure médecins into the countryside, combating its desiertos médicos equivalent, while Spain’s Jubilación Activa Mejorada lets retirees receive full salaries and pensions simultaneously. Across these systems, pension flexibility is crucial, yet bureaucratic hurdles often deter mass participation. Analysts say Portugal’s challenge is to copy the useful bits—training refreshers, IT support for teleconsultations—without replicating the red tape.

What it means for patients from Braga to Faro

For citizens, the immediate question is simple: will it be easier to book an appointment? Officials promise improved continuity of care, shorter waits for urgent appointments, and more telemedicine adoption now that experienced GPs can handle electronic consultations. Health centres also gain extra hands for night-time coverage and home visits, services younger doctors sometimes avoid due to workload pressures. Nevertheless, campaigners for health equity insist the scheme must shrink the health inequality gap between coastal cities and sparsely populated interior regions. Whether the plan becomes a bridge to sustainable staffing or a permanent crutch will shape Portugal’s long-term solution debate well beyond 2027.