The Impact of Austerity on the Portuguese National Health Service, Citizens’ Well-Being, and Health Inequalities

Abstract

This article discusses the main lines of the anti-crisis policy in Portugal, its consequences on the citizens’ well-being and health inequalities and the impasses in health reforms planned both to ensure the financial sustainability of the health system and to improve equity. Different studies reveal that health inequalities in Portugal have been consistently higher than those observed in other European countries in the last decade and continue to be closely associated with geography, income, and health literacy. In the absence of a well-structured reform program, the blind cuts on expenses prevailed, showing no consideration to their impact in very sensitive areas of medical care. The manner in which slowness, insufficiency or downgrading of services affects citizens differs according to their social condition and the way they deal with the situation. The article is illustrated with examples of how citizens, families, and civil society organizations have sought to circumvent the lack of response from public health services.