José Manuel Bolieiro announces Health Voucher to reduce waiting times - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, announced today the approval of a legislative initiative to introduce the Health Voucher scheme, a measure designed to improve Azorean patients' access to specialist healthcare and reduce waiting times.

“With the Health Voucher, the Regional Government aims to ensure faster access for patients to specialist hospital consultations and additional diagnostic tests,” stated José Manuel Bolieiro in Horta, whilst presenting the conclusions of the latest meeting of the Regional Council of the Government.

According to the head of the Azorean Government, the Health Voucher aims to “reduce waiting times, increase patients’ freedom of choice and promote a more efficient use of available resources.”

“The Health Voucher will be issued for approved or contracted providers when the maximum guaranteed response times are exceeded,” explained the President of the Regional Government.

The Regional Government will shortly submit the draft Regional Legislative Decree establishing the Health Voucher to the Legislative Assembly for consideration and voting.

The introduction of this measure is part of the Azorean Government’s strategy to continue improving access to healthcare for the Azorean population, whilst also bolstering the Regional Health Service’s response capacity. 

The initiative comes at a time when regional hospitals are experiencing unprecedented levels of activity. Between 2019 and 2025, the total number of hospital consultations carried out in the three Regional Health Service hospitals increased by around 20%, rising from 410,027 to 491,466.

This growth was observed across all three hospitals in the Region. The Divino Espírito Santo Hospital registered a 21% increase, rising from 251,252 to 304,234 consultations. The Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island saw its activity rise by 25%, from 88,457 to 110,208 consultations. Meanwhile, the Horta Hospital recorded a 10% increase, rising from 70,318 to 77,024 consultations.

These results highlight the significant efforts made by healthcare professionals and the Regional Health Service to meet the population's needs, achieving the highest number of hospital consultations ever recorded in the Region.

Nevertheless, the Regional Government considers that, whilst an increase in healthcare provision is essential, it is not sufficient. The aim is to ensure that Azoreans have timely access to healthcare. It is in this context that the Health Voucher scheme has been introduced, mobilising the installed capacity of the public, private and social sectors in a complementary manner, helping to reduce waiting times and ensure a swifter response to citizens’ needs.