Regional Government increases accommodation capacity of Displaced Patient Support Service in Lisbon - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Government has increased the accommodation capacity of the Displaced Patient Support Service (SADD) in Lisbon by signing a new protocol that includes an additional two-bedroom apartment and a one-bedroom apartment adapted for users with reduced mobility.

This expansion addresses a need identified by the SADD team, led by Catarina Silva, providing a more adequate response to the growing number of users from the Autonomous Region of the Azores who travel to Mainland Portugal for medical exams, consultations or treatments.

For the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, this measure reflects the Regional Government's ongoing attention to the difficulties experienced by patients when they are forced to leave the Region for healthcare.

“The Regional Government is aware of the difficulties that Azorean patients face when travelling outside the Region for exams or treatment and intends to mitigate these impacts by ensuring a responsive, dignified and humane response. Fortunately, this is what the Displaced Patient Support Service has been providing to our users,” emphasises the person responsible for the service.

Regarding the length of stays, 46% were short stays of less than five days. Regarding the origin of patients, 54% had been referred from the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada, 34% from the Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island, and 12% from the Horta Hospital.

During 2025, the SADD team carried out a total of 11,914 interventions, which included psychosocial support, telephone contacts, guidance on travel procedures, processing of daily allowances and providing information on patients' rights and duties. A further 3,762 social diagnoses and 6,751 procedures were carried out, ensuring active and effective monitoring, particularly in more complex cases.

Therefore, SADD is an essential structure with a high level of social responsibility.

“Behind each of these figures are the Regional Health Service patients and their families, as well as stories marked by support, dedication and humanism. It is this commitment that the Regional Government of the Azores continues to focus on, improving responses and ensuring better conditions for those who need it most,” concluded Mónica Seidi.