A survey of national health service performance in 35 countries has rated Portugal ahead of the UK “for the first time ever”.
In fact, despite endless bad press nationally, the Portuguese national health service has leapt six places in the Euro Health Consumer Index. Its new position means it is not only ahead of UK, but also of neighbouring Spain.
The index is compiled by Swedish health policy think tank “Health Consumer Powerhouse” and sets out to rank European State health services through the eyes of the people that use them.
Countries are ‘ranked’ according to a possible score of 1000. For 2016, Portugal clinched 763 points, putting it in 14th place in a list dominated by Holland, Switzerland and Norway.
The index has been running since 2005, during which time Portugal has been ‘up’ and ‘down’: for example in 2012 the SNS health service came in in 25th place. It then jumped four place to 16th, another two by 2014 – putting it in 13th place -, down again during 2015 to 20th place and now, in 2016, back up to its coveted new position.
The ranking could not come at a “better time”, considering health service woes are becoming daily fare.
Over the weekend, the Algarve health service was rocked by new ‘revelations’ of suspect care: a 13-year-old boy is alleged to have been three times diagnosed with flu when he in fact was suffering from a brain tumour (click here).
At the same time, came a story of an elderly patient who is believed to have ‘fallen from her bed’ after being admitted for a respiratory condition, breaking an arm and a leg.
Hospital authorities have responded to the stories, saying they have opened two internal inquiries, the answers of which will be sent when completed to the respective families.
In the meantime, the latest Euro Health Consumer Index ranking is as follows:
1. Netherlands – 927
2. Switzerland – 904
3. Norway – 865
4. Belgium – 860
5. Iceland – 854
6. Luxembourg – 851
7. Germany – 849
8. Finland – 842
9. Denmark – 827
10. Austria – 826
11. France – 815
12. Sweden – 786
13. Czech Republic – 780
14. Portugal – 763
15. United Kingdom – 761
16. Slovenia – 740
17. Estonia – 729
18. Spain – 709
19. Croatia – 703
20. FYR Macedonia – 699
21. Ireland – 689
22. Italy – 682
23. Slovakia – 678
24. Serbia – 670
25. Malta – 666
26. Cyprus – 623
27. Lithuania – 620
28. Greece – 593
29. Latvia – 589
30. Hungary – 575
31. Poland – 564
32. Albania – 551
33. Bulgaria – 526
34. Montenegro – 518
35. Romania – 497
