urgência
Published 8 November 2026, 22:47
urgência — A&E, emergency care
The hospital department you go to when you are unwell right now and cannot wait for an appointment. There is a general urgência and a separate one for children (urgência pediátrica). On arrival a nurse carries out triage and gives you a coloured wristband: your place in the queue depends on the colour, not on who came first. It is open around the clock, and no referral is needed.
Where you come across it. An injury, a high temperature, acute pain, a child's condition at night or at the weekend.
If you turn up on your own, without calling SNS 24 or having a doctor's referral, the taxa moderadora still applies, unless you are then admitted to hospital. And it is not a way to see a specialist faster: with a minor problem you will get a green wristband and have to wait for hours while more serious cases go ahead of you.
Official website: sns24.gov.pt