Last week, four directors of Cardiology Services from hospitals in the North (Santo António, Matosinhos, Vila Real and Penafiel) sent a letter to the Minister of Health warning of the existence of waiting lists in cardiology referral centers with “fatal consequences” for some patients. At the time, all service directors assumed this situation, but in statements to RTP, the director of the Cardiology service at Santo António even referred to a dozen deaths in the last two to three years.
The General Inspection of Health Activities (IGAS) confirmed this week to DN that it requested explanations from the Santo António Local Health Unit (ULSSA, in Porto) on the matter, awaiting responses to decide whether or not to proceed with “an inspection action”, as explained by the inspector general, António Carapeto.
This Friday (27), DN asked ULSSA about whether it would respond to IGAS and the communications department informed that it would “respond” whatever was necessary and, in clarification to DN about the deaths reported, the unit assumes that “patients at Santo António Hospital who were on the waiting list for reference centers in São João or Gaia, for the placement of aortic valves or heart surgery, died without being summoned”explaining, however, “that it is not possible to assume a causal link in all cases, especially because several died in other hospitals”.
The DN also questioned the ULS about what it meant by the statement that they “died without being summoned”: whether it was the assumption that these patients died on the waiting list and how long they had been waiting for these procedures when they died. The DN also wanted to know the appropriate waiting time for these patients, taking into account their condition. And the response that came from the administration of Santo Antônio was that “the data is being rigorously investigated by the Cardiology Service and, for now, we cannot add anything further”.
The issue of the existence of waiting lists in cardiology for two specific situations, heart surgery and aortic valve implantation, put on the table the activity of reference centers for cardiology in the north, namely those at the hospitals of Gaia and São João (Porto), and the possibility of other hospitals, such as Santo António – whose cardiology director told DN they have “infrastructure and skills” -, being able to create units to carry out such procedures, in order to help clear the waiting lists. At least that of their patients, since, in 2025, for example, they referred 265 patients to reference centers who were on the waiting list. Last week, the director of the Cardiology service at Santo António highlighted that there are opinions from the DGS and an internal rule from the two Secretaries of State for Health not to oppose the creation of this unit.
Opinions are divided and the Minister of Health admitted, during the week, in Parliament, that the waiting lists “concern her a lot as minister”. “Because I am responsible”, he said, reinforcing that he had already asked the Executive Directorate of the SNS and the General Directorate of Health (DGS) for “urgent solutions”.
Meanwhile, another letter appeared, from three directors of reference centers – from ULS Santa Maria, ULS de Coimbra and ULS de Gaia -, also warning of the consequences that could arise if such procedures begin to be carried out by units that are not prepared to do so, and that if there are investments in terms of equipment and resources to be made by the authority, then these should be carried out in reference centers that already exist. There are six in the country, and the Cardiology Referral Network, approved in 2023, defines the creation of two more: one in Braga, which has now started operating; another in Faro, which hasn’t yet.
The Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, met this Wednesday with the directors of the reference centers in Lisbon (Santa Maria, Santa Marta and Santa Cruz) and Coimbra. And the executive director of the SNS met on Thursday with the service directors of the northern centers (Gaia, São João and Braga). The DN wanted to know if anything was decided at these meetings and what the next steps would be, but received no response.
On March 3, the Order of Doctors of the North will meet with the directors of the reference centers and service directors who issued the warning letter, who have not yet received any response to the situation reported to the Minister of Health. “Not even to be heard and help find a solution”, Cristina Gavina, director of the Cardiology Service at Matosinhos Hospital, told DN.
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