The letter, which was published in Tuesday's edition of Público newspaper and signed by a former minister of health Ana Jorge, film director António Pedro Vasconcelos, musician Carlos Mendes, prominent physician Daniel Sampaio, journalist Diana Andringa and historian Fernando Rosas, dismisses as false the PS's main argument for continuing with PPPs in defiance of opposition from its usual partners in parliament, the Left Bloc and Communist Party.

“The government’s proposal ... maintains ... a misunderstanding of the distinction, when it establishes the possibility of public care establishments being privately management,” the letter states, stressing that the central argument for PPPs – that private management is more efficient – has been disproven.

“Nothing more false, since publicly-managed establishments are obliged to [provide] universal and general coverage, while privately-managed establishments are only obliged to [provide] contractual coverage,” it notes.

The signatories call on Costa to reformulate the basic law on health that is currently being negotiated between the parties in parliament and which as it stands leaves open the possibility of public healthcare establishments being handed over to private companies to manage.

The open letter arose following a controversy over negotiations on the text, with the Left Bloc hailing as a done deal the end of PPPs in healthcare and an end to co-payments in primary healthcare as points already agreed with the PS. The latter reacted by making clear that no such agreement had been reached.

The draft legislation is currently in the committee stage in parliament, with several public submissions having been made by hundreds of leading professionals working in the field.