Azores to introduce hospital management contracts in 2027
Azores GuideThe regional government says the contracts will link hospital leadership to objectives and indicators while protecting care quality.
The Azores regional government will introduce management contracts in 2027 for the presidents of the region's three hospitals. Mónica Seidi announced the measure during the October plenary session of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
The government said the contracts are intended to strengthen efficiency, responsibility and the financial sustainability of the Regional Health Service without compromising the quality of care. Seidi said the contracts will set objectives and performance indicators suited to the complexity and responsibility of each function or unit, and that hospital performance should be assessed on care activity and benefits for users as well as financial results.
The government also highlighted increased clinical differentiation, including electrophysiology procedures in cardiology, local vitrectomies and robotic surgery. Robotic surgery has been used for about 50 patients in Azorean hospitals, while local vitrectomies avoid prolonged travel outside the region.
Seidi said higher hospital medicine costs also reflect scientific progress and new therapies, particularly for oncology, rare diseases and autoimmune diseases. At Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, spending on biological medicines rose from about €7 million in 2019 to an estimate of nearly €20 million by the end of 2026.
Earlier, this site reported that Chega/Açores schedules urgent hospital finance debate.
Sources
Azores Guide
Author