Faro Hospital reports nearly 16-hour wait for urgent patients

Patients classified as urgent at Faro Hospital in the Algarve faced average wait times of 15 hours and 52 minutes for their first medical observation on August 15, 2026, according to National Health Service (SNS) data.

In the same region, Portimão Hospital reported a shorter but still significant wait time of 4 hours and 13 minutes for urgent patients. In contrast, most other hospital units across the country maintained average wait times of less than two hours.

Data from the Hospital de Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Barreiro showed urgent patients waiting 2 hours and 16 minutes, while those classified as less urgent faced waits of 18 hours and 10 minutes. Under the standard triage system, urgent cases (yellow) are recommended for care within 60 minutes, while very urgent cases (orange) should be seen within 10 minutes.