INEM doctors included in Portuguese emergency overtime incentive regime

The Portuguese government has issued a new decree-law to include INEM doctors in a remuneration incentive regime for supplementary work performed in emergency services. This legislative correction follows the publication of Decree-Law no. 119/2026 in June, which established incentives for doctors working beyond legal annual limits in the National Health Service but failed to explicitly include those working for the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM).

The omission had drawn criticism from medical professional bodies, including the Ordem dos Médicos and the Sindicato dos Médicos do Norte, who characterized the error as a lack of legislative rigor. The new Decree-Law no. 168/2026, published on August 17, 2026, clarifies that the incentives apply to doctors providing essential services in emergency units, intensive care, and medical emergency vehicles (VMER).

The INEM Workers' Commission welcomed the decision, noting that they had publicly warned about the potential exclusion of medical professionals performing core functions in CODU, helicopters, and VMER as early as May.