According to Público, the implementation, ensured by the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS) and Altice, the operator responsible for the line, aims to increase response capacity and reduce the number of unanswered calls. Demand has grown far above what was foreseen in the contract, and it is estimated that 2025 will end with approximately seven million calls answered.

The increased pressure on the helpline was intensified by the integration of new services, such as appointment booking, and by the expansion of the “Call Sooner, Save Lives” project, which already operates in 27 Local Health Units, covering more than 7.8 million users. Both SPMS (Shared Services of the Ministry of Health) and Altice guarantee that reinforcements have been made to the technical infrastructure and redundancy of the helpline, considered the main gateway to the National Health Service.

In addition to technological reinforcement, there has also been a significant investment in human resources. According to Nuno Cadima, a representative of Altice, 2,400 new professionals were hired throughout the year, totaling 3,701 employees, a number that, according to Nuno Cadima, is higher than that recorded during the pandemic.

The helpline, composed mostly of nurses (85%), also includes doctors, pharmacists, and psychologists. The company also implemented a 30% salary increase for professionals since the start of their contracts in March 2024, and has another 400 professionals in recruitment, including campaigns with universities to strengthen the team.