The new Local Health Unit (ULS) in the Algarve will come into operation on January 1, 2024 and will group, in the same entity, the University Hospital Center of the Algarve and the Groupings of Health Centers, the responsibility of the Regional Health Administration ( ARS).
The Government announced this Wednesday, August 30, this major reform in the National Health Service (SNS).
António Costa's executive decided to create 31 new Local Health Units, which will join the existing eight, each of which will manage the hospitals and health centers in the area.
In the case of the Algarve, the ULS will integrate the CHUA, which manages the hospitals in the region, and the three Groupings of Health Centers (Central, Barlavento and Sotavento), also extinguishing the ARS.
According to the Government, this new model of organization of the SNS will allow «to simplify processes and improve the articulation between teams of health professionals, always with a focus on experience and the paths between the different levels of care, and make management more autonomous ».
«It will also increase the participation of citizens, communities, professionals and local authorities in the definition, monitoring and evaluation of health policies, thus maximizing access and efficiency of the SNS», it also reads, in a note published on the website from the government.
As for ULS home financing, it will be defined «per capita and risk stratification'.
That is, depending on «the number of users of each ULS and their characteristics – how many of the users are healthy, chronically ill or complex cases –, thus making the management of financial resources more efficient».
Anyone who does not want to be accompanied in the assigned ULS can do so and will be followed in the one they wish.
«In that case, the respective value will be transferred from the ULS that was assigned to the ULS where you want to be accompanied», explains the Government.
In relation to the boards of directors of the Local Health Units, Público reports that they may include «up to six executive members» and that, in addition to the president, will have «two clinical directors, a nurse director, a member proposed by the Ministry of Finance and a member proposed by the intermunicipal community or by the metropolitan area, depending on the location of the ULS».
As for workers in hospitals and health centres, they will automatically transfer to the respective ULS.
«In the case of workers who perform functions in health centers or hospitals who, with the reorganization, come to belong to different ULS, whenever the worker wants, the change to the locality of the Health Center where they perform functions must be facilitated» , concludes the Government note.
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