Portugal confirms doctors' extra incentives stack with regular overtime pay

The Portuguese government clarified that the exceptional incentive scheme for doctors performing supplemental work in the National Health Service (SNS) is cumulative with the normal overtime payments mandated by the general supplemental work rules.

Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro announced the clarification at a press conference on the Council of Ministers meeting, addressing doubts about whether the two payments could be combined. The regime, introduced by a decree‑law published in June and effective from 1 May, defines a performance reward calculated as a percentage of the doctor's base salary, grouped in ten tiers of 48‑hour blocks for work beyond the legal limits (250 hours for full‑time doctors, 150 hours for others). The government said the measure protects emergency services and aims to boost response capacity.