Hiring of 63 new doctors to strengthen medical staff at Sintra's new hospital, scheduled for August
The long-awaited Hospital de Sintra, located in Portugal, officially started operating its basic emergency department in July 2025. This modern facility, which required an investment of approximately 81 million euros, is expected to significantly reduce waiting times in emergency services and improve overall patient care in the region.
The new hospital, spanning over 10,500 square metres with an additional 49,000 square metres of outdoor space, offers a wide range of services. These include an outpatient clinic, external consultations and examinations, a mental health unit, a physical medicine rehabilitation unit, a central collection and complementary diagnostic and therapeutic means, an outpatient surgery unit with surgery block and recovery, a sterilization unit, a pharmacy, and a space for teaching and training.
The Hospital de Sintra is equipped to handle approximately 60,000 basic emergency cases annually, covering about half of those previously treated at the larger Amadora-Sintra Hospital. This shift in patient care is intended to relieve pressure on the Amadora-Sintra Hospital, improving efficiency in both facilities.
One of the key benefits of the new hospital is the provision of more localized and specialized care. With outpatient consultations, surgical procedures, inpatient care, and mental health units available closer to the population served (approximately 550,000 people), access and continuity of care are expected to improve significantly.
To support the new hospital, the Local Health Unit (ULS) Amadora-Sintra has hired 63 new doctors since January 2023, including at least three for the new Sintra Hospital. By the beginning of August 2023, the Hospital de Sintra will have at least three more clinicians to strengthen its team.
The opening of the emergency department at the Hospital de Sintra has led to an increase in emergency patients at the Amadora-Sintra Hospital, as anticipated. However, the new hospital's increased capacity is designed to address this issue gradually, minimizing the strain on the Amadora-Sintra Hospital.
The Sindicato dos Médicos da Zona Sul (SMZS) has expressed concerns about the functioning of the emergencies at the new Hospital de Sintra, stating that it may be at the expense of the teams at the Amadora-Sintra Hospital due to a lack of recruited clinicians in the early days of the new hospital's operation.
Despite these initial challenges, the Hospital de Sintra's first days of operation have satisfied patients with quick attendance, and the number of emergency patients at the hospital has increased from the previous emergency of Mem-Martins, with 130 to 150 people daily compared to its 90 to 100 at most.
In conclusion, the opening of the new Hospital de Sintra marks a strategic enhancement to the regional healthcare system, addressing known challenges like waiting times in emergency services and broadening access to specialty and outpatient care. This benefits the large local population served by the hospital.
References: [1] Local Health Unit (ULS) Amadora-Sintra, press release, July 2025. [4] Local Health Unit (ULS) Amadora-Sintra, staffing plan, January 2023 - August 2023.
The Hospital de Sintra, equipped with a comprehensive range of medical services such as mental health and rehabilitation units, has been designed to specialize in health-and-wellness, including the diagnosis and treatment of various medical-conditions. With the new hospital's focus on outpatient clinics and surgeries, the local population will have improved access to science-based health care services. The growth in the number of doctors hired, including those specialized in the new hospital, is intended to reinforce this commitment to healthcare service advancement in the region.
