Hospital emergency services have been generating a lot of talk recently, mainly because of the long waiting times, which has worried a lot of people. The good news is that there are simple ways to find out which services are open and what the waiting times are. Want to know how? Read on.
Are you familiar with the SNS interactive map?
If there’s one thing that can make your life easier when you need to use a hospital emergency service, it’s the interactive map available on the National Health Service (SNS) portal. This tool lets you know, in real time, which emergency services are operating and their opening hours.
How does it work?
It’s very simple: the map is divided into regions and allows you to search by type of emergency (general, pediatric, obstetric, etc.). Active services appear in green, while closed services appear in red. The map is updated hourly and helps those who need urgent care and want to avoid unnecessary journeys.
You can access the map directly on the SNS portal to check which unit is open nearest to you.
Health centers open "after hours"
Out-of-Hours Health Centers are units that offer care during extended hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays, for cases that don’t require a hospital emergency.
On the portal of the Regional Health Administration of Lisbon and the Tagus Valley (ARSLVT), you can consult the full list of available units, the opening hours and the services provided at each Center.
Emergency waiting times
Apart from knowing if the emergency room is open, the big question is: how long will I have to wait?
Also on the SNS portal, you can see the average waiting times for each hospital. The system is presented in colors, indicating priority and the estimated average time to be seen. The colors reflect the severity of the case, defined by triage, and have the following recommended waiting times:
- Red (emergency situation): immediate assistance (0 minutes)
- Orange (very urgent situation): care recommended within 10 minutes of triage
- Yellow (urgent situation): service recommended within 60 minutes of triage
- Green (less urgent situation): can wait for service within 120 minutes (two hours)
- Blue (non-urgent situation): you can wait up to 240 minutes (four hours).
On this portal, you can see the waiting times for all areas of the selected hospital, such as general medicine, pediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, among others. The times shown are the average of the last two hours and the number of patients waiting is also updated in real time.
Emergency rooms in private hospitals: can they be an alternative?
If waiting times are too long or the nearest public emergency room is closed, private hospitals may be an option. Although they involve additional costs, they are a viable choice in scenarios where time is crucial.
CUF emergency rooms: waiting times
CUF offers a Permanent Care and Unscheduled Medical Care service, available from the north to the south of the country. Emergencies are separated into Adults and Pediatrics, guaranteeing specialized care for each age group. You can check the opening hours of each hospital or clinic on the official website.
Waiting times at Lusíadas Hospital
Lusíadas Hospital has an Urgent Care Unit for Adults, Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, with no appointment necessary, available 24 hours a day, every day.
Hospital da Luz: waiting times
Hospital da Luz’s Urgent Care service is intended for acute and sudden onset health situations that are not emergencies but require quick and effective medical assistance in a short period of time.
What to do if in doubt?
If you don’t know where to go or if the nearest emergency room is open, we recommend calling SNS 24 (808 24 24 24). This service not only carries out the initial triage, but also indicates the nearest unit with the shortest waiting time.
If you need to go to any of these health facilities, you can count on Ambula for safe, comfortable and efficient transportation, always focused on your needs
