More than 50 clinically discharged patients are blocking inpatient care capacity at Hospital de São José in Lisbon due to a lack of social care support.
According to Miguel Paiva, president of the board of directors of Unidade Local de Saúde (ULS) São José, 51 patients who were medically ready for discharge remained hospitalized on Wednesday. Paiva stated that releasing these patients would free up needed beds for individuals currently waiting in the emergency department who require admission to inpatient wards.
Hospital de São José is a central public healthcare facility located near the heart of Lisbon and functions within ULS São José. In Portugal, medically cleared patients who remain in hospital wards because they lack family assistance, home care, or nursing home placements are referred to as social cases.
Emergency room pressure
Paiva warned that the hospital urgently requires emergency department space for acute patients who arrive every single day. The emergency department has recorded more than 7,350 episodes since the beginning of August 2026.
According to Paiva, 42 percent of patients seeking emergency care at the hospital come from outside the geographic area for which ULS São José is responsible. Additionally, 15 percent of emergency patients are referred by other emergency services or private hospitals in situations involving high medical complexity.
Leadership resignations
The overcrowding and resource pressures have triggered resignations among top hospital staff. Luís Bento, the director of the emergency department, tendered his resignation, stating he would step down if proper conditions are not ensured for patients to receive dignified treatment.
A lack of resources also led to the departure of Catarina Pereira, the director of internal medicine at the hospital. Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã questioned ULS São José regarding the resignations and possible replacements for the department heads, but the health unit did not provide a response.
