With contributions from Portuguese experts from ENSP, Infarmed, and Hospital de Cascais, the sessions addressed topics such as public-private cooperation, rising healthcare costs, and accessibility in care delivery. Lively roundtables explored whether care should be concentrated in larger centres, and how to strike the right balance between efficiency and equity in the system. A big thank you to all the speakers – especially to Prof. Adalberto Campos Fernandes for putting the programme together – and of course to ENSP NOVA for the warm welcome and an insightful morning!

 

In the afternoon, the group split into two parallel visits, offering distinct perspectives on the Portuguese healthcare system.

One group visited DOMUS VIDA, a private elderly care home, where participants had the opportunity to tour the facilities and gain insights into integrated long-term care models. The visit sparked discussions around the challenges of providing person-centred care in an ageing society, the role of private providers, and innovations in elderly support. A special thank you to Teresa Marques and Luísa Loureiro for the warm welcome and for guiding us through this inspiring visit.

The second group visited the Centro Hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa (Hospital Júlio de Matos), where they explored the hospital grounds and learned about the evolution of mental health care in Portugal. The tour offered a close look at the hospital’s services, from clinical treatment to rehabilitation, while also shedding light on national reform efforts and the shift toward community-based mental health care.
Our sincere thanks to Teresa Mosca, Patrícia Robalo and Sandra Gaspar for their availability and for providing such a thoughtful and informative visit.

Both visits offered a unique opportunity to understand the complexity and diversity of care models in Portugal, with guided tours enhancing the learning experience.