There is widespread support in Portugal for the continuation of an equitable national health system, accessible by all citizens and based on principles of social solidarity. However, there is equally a general recognition that the current system, which has led to enormous improvements in the past, cannot satisfactorily meet the needs of the future in its current form and is increasingly unaffordable and unsustainable.

The Gulbenkian Platform Commission focused on the promotion of health and prevention of disease; the provision of more varied community based and integrated services to meet the needs of the growing number of people with long term conditions; greater participation of citizens and patients; and the potential impacts of new knowledge and technologies. It develops a framework which sets out the roles, responsibilities and rights of all the different participants – from patients and citizens to the State and private and voluntary sector organizations, including science and health industry – and which can be used to create a new national consensus in Portugal about health and healthcare.

Interview with Lord Nigel Crisp

On February 5th, 2013 a new Platform was officialy launched to create a new vision for health and healthcare in Portugal.

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