ULS
Published 8 November 2026, 22:47
Unidade Local de Saúde
A local health unit: since 2024 this is how public healthcare has been organised locally. Each ULS is responsible both for the health centres (centros de saúde) in its area and for the hospital they are linked to. The name of a ULS is made up of the names of municipalities, for example ULS de Loures-Odivelas or ULS de Almada-Seixal.
Where you come across it. Registering with a health centre, the waiting list for a family doctor, referrals to specialists, statistics for your area.
Your ULS is determined by your address, not by what suits you. Waiting lists for a family doctor are counted by ULS, and figures for neighbouring areas can differ several times over.