What to do if a doctor brushed you off or got the diagnosis wrong
A second opinion, changing doctor and making a complaint — step by step and without hard feelings. This guide covers what you can ask during the appointment itself, how to get your records, where to get another doctor's opinion free of charge or for a fee, how to change your family doctor and where to complain: first the complaints book at the clinic itself, then the health regulator. It also says honestly what a complaint won't get you.
If you feel worse, get help first and deal with the dispute later
A dispute with a doctor isn't urgent, but your health can be. If you feel worse after the appointment — your temperature has gone up, the pain is getting worse, there is bleeding or you find it hard to breathe — don't wait for a reply to a complaint and don't look for a second doctor next week. Call the SNS 24 line (Serviço Nacional de Saúde, the national health service) on 808 24 24 24: they will listen and tell you whether to go to A&E. If your life is in danger, call 112.
The complaint isn't going anywhere. There is no deadline for complaining in Portugal: a complaint is accepted a month later or a year later. But the sooner you write it, the easier it is for the clinic to pull the records and remember what happened.
Ask directly during the appointment and ask for the answer in writing
Most often, “the doctor brushed me off” means the doctor didn't explain. Ask in a way that can't be answered with “it's fine”: what the diagnosis is called, what it is based on, what else it could be, what to do if you are no better in a few days, and why you don't need the test you are asking about.
Asking “please write in the report that the test isn't indicated” works better than arguing: a spoken answer can't be proved, whereas a doctor words a written one differently and thinks it over for longer. If Portuguese is hard for you, bring a list of questions on paper.
This isn't about being proved right: by law you have the right to clear information about your condition and to agree to treatment or refuse it. Everything else in this guide rests on that same right.
“And they measured mine and now my anxiety level has gone up 🙂 If they hadn't measured it, I wouldn't even have known. And now I want a second opinion from a thorough doctor who doesn't brush you off like a fly. When I told mine that I most likely have iron deficiency, that I feel faint, she says: drink more water. When you tell her your belly is rock hard and it stays like that for an hour (I timed it), she says: drink more water.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkberemennost_portugal09.09.2025
Get your records, test results and scans
Information about your health belongs to you, and the hospital or clinic is only its keeper; that is what the law says (Lei n.º 12/2005 and Lei n.º 95/2019). Ask the institution where you were treated: the regulator doesn't have your data and doesn't keep it.
You can see your file (processo clínico, the medical record) free of charge and without explaining why: no one is allowed to demand a reason from you. For a copy — a printout or a disc with scans — you may be charged. A relatório médico (doctor's report), on the other hand, is not a copy of your file but a separate piece of paid work by the doctor; if you just need your data, ask for a copy, not a report.
Without the paperwork, a second opinion costs more and takes longer: the second doctor starts from scratch and orders again what has already been done.
Get a second opinion
Portuguese law has no direct right to a second opinion, and the Entidade Reguladora da Saúde (ERS, the health regulator) explains it like this: since you are the one who decides on treatment, you are entitled to hear another specialist's view so that you can decide with your eyes open. The right to choose your doctor and institution is written down explicitly (Lei n.º 15/2014, Article 2), but with a caveat: “within the available resources”.
If you pay, it's simple: you book an appointment with another doctor in the same specialty and bring your file and scans; you don't need a referral for this.
Within the public system, a second opinion takes the form of a referral to another hospital. The mechanism is called Livre Acesso e Circulação (LAC, free access and movement within the SNS): your family doctor chooses with you any public hospital that has the specialty you need, going by waiting times and not just by your registered address. Waiting times by hospital are published on the Portal do SNS.
“well that's why I said a second opinion specifically from someone with similar expertise (not a physio, homeopath, chiropractor, acupuncturist etc), but a different doctor. usually you can look on the websites of the medical chains to see who's who with all their credentials.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkchatlisboa05.08.2025
“My doctor scared me on the ultrasound with talk of a big baby, I went for a second opinion to the clinic for the 4th screening a week before the birth, even without a referral, they just ‘knew’ me from the previous screenings.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkberemennost_portugal22.04.2026
When two opinions differ
A second opinion is not a vote, and “two against one” proves nothing. Look not at how confident a doctor is but at what can be checked: what exactly they examined, which tests and scans they rely on, and what they suggest doing to tell one explanation from the other. Ask each of them what speaks against their version — a doctor who has an answer gives it calmly.
If the disagreement is serious, find a third doctor — one in a narrow specialty, as close as possible to your problem. In the stories below, it was exactly such a doctor who found the diagnosis after two others had missed the problem.
“I've had a bad experience with a dermatologist there. My little one was given the wrong diagnosis and on top of that a cream that isn't suitable for children (according to two other doctors)”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT19.02.2026
Change your doctor — you're allowed to
At a private clinic there's no one to persuade: you book with another doctor, and that's it. If the appointment is covered by insurance, ask the insurer in advance — the authorisation may have been issued for a specific clinic and will then need to be redone.
In the public system it's more complicated. A family doctor (médico de família) is assigned according to where you live and whether there are free places; priority goes to pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and families with children under 12. Ask for a change in writing — at the reception desk of the health centre (centro de saúde) or by letter, so that there is a record. If there are no places, ask to be put on the lista de espera (waiting list) and mention this in your complaint: often it's the only thing that moves the queue.
Until you have a family doctor, the health centre is still obliged to see you. The maximum waiting times are set by law and are called TMRG (Tempos Máximos de Resposta Garantidos, guaranteed maximum response times): with an acute illness, the same day; without one, within 15 working days.
In the public system, changing doctor works differently from a private clinic: the request goes to the management of your own unit — USF or UCSP — and can only be granted if the same unit has a doctor with room on their list. A separate case is when your doctor has resigned or moved to another institution but the SNS system still lists them as yours: then there is no one to ask for a replacement, and the matter is settled by a letter to the health centre's management and, after that, by a complaint (the case was discussed in a chat in August 2025). How all this works is explained in the guide Family doctor in Portugal.
“If you were refused a family doctor because there aren't enough places, ask to be put on the waiting list (lista de espera). If you don't have a family doctor, you're entitled to a temporary doctor (médico assistente ou médico em regime de recurso) — they have to see you when needed, especially in urgent or ongoing situations. Don't be shy about asking for an appointment, even if you don't have a permanent family doctor.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkRussosEmPortugal28.05.2025
“I really feel for you! I had a strange experience with her too, I was referred to her to be looked after for the rest of my pregnancy (and she was supposed to deliver the baby), and I really didn't like her attitude (very detached and not engaged), and in the end I left her for another doctor. Plus she was going on holiday a few days before my due date and was suggesting an induction.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkberemennost_portugal10.04.2026
Complaining to the institution itself: Livro de Reclamações
The Livro de Reclamações is the complaints book, and it must be available wherever members of the public are served. In private clinics it is called the red book (Livro Vermelho), in public ones the yellow book (Livro Amarelo). The form is filled in with carbon copies: the blue duplicate stays with you, so keep it — its number is used later to check on your case.
They must give you the book straight away and free of charge, without discussing whether the complaint is fair. If they refuse, call the police — the PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública, the police in towns and cities), the GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana, the gendarmerie, outside towns) or the municipal police: they write up a report (auto de notícia) and send it to the regulator.
There is also an electronic book — livroreclamacoes.pt. But it is only compulsory for private, cooperative and social-sector establishments: you can't use it to complain about a public health centre — there you use the yellow paper book or complain straight to the regulator.
Write in plain, factual terms: the name and address of the establishment, the date, what happened step by step, and what you want. After that, the institution must forward your complaint to the regulator within 10 working days, together with its reply to you.
“If you want to make a complaint, ask the staff for the Livro de reclamações. If you want to say thank you, then the Livro de Elogios. You can also make a complaint online on the website www.livroreclamacoes.pt”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkberemennost_portugal07.04.2026
“I'd write complaints (you can use ChatGPT, ask it to keep it ‘short’) - in the hospital's complaints book and about the insurance company. All official institutions have a Livro de reclamações. They're obliged to respond to formal complaints (this is a clear violation of your rights), and to sort it out between themselves instead of tormenting you with all this back-and-forth.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkmed_strahovki_pt23.08.2025
Complaining to the regulator: Entidade Reguladora da Saúde
The Entidade Reguladora da Saúde (ERS, the health regulator) covers everyone who provides treatment on the mainland: public hospitals and health centres, private clinics and practices, laboratories, dental practices, care homes. Complaints go there about access to care, the quality of treatment and service, discrimination, waiting times, money and the state of the premises.
You can complain in three ways: through the form on ers.pt, by email to reclamacoes@ers.pt or by post (Rua S. João de Brito, 621 L32, 4100-455 Porto). Information is available by phone on 309 309 309 on weekdays. A complaint can be anonymous, but then describe the case in a way that lets the clinic respond to the substance without knowing who you are.
After that, the regulator assesses the clinic's reply, steps in itself if there are signs of a serious breach, can open infringement proceedings and issues a decision on the complaint. The status of the case can be checked on the website using the complaint number. If the clinic hasn't replied at all, tell the regulator separately — that is also a breach.
“The first step is to gather documents and evidence. The complaint is made through the ‘complaints book’ (livro de reclamações) of the clinic where you had the vaccination, or through the ERS portal (ers.pt) - that's the supervisory body. In your case you can probably demand not just an apology and a review of what happened, but also compensation for the harm (nurses and doctors have insurance, specifically to pay out on claims like this, among other things). I can't recommend a specific lawyer, I don't know one.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkchatlisboa04.11.2025
Money and recognition of harm are a different route
The regulator warns plainly: a complaint does not settle the dispute that led to it. It ends with a reply, an inspection and sometimes a penalty for the clinic, but not with a payment to you.
If it's about money or harm to your health, there are two routes. The first is mediation through the regulator: it is free but voluntary — the clinic has to agree; you apply through the form on ers.pt, and questions go to mediacao@ers.pt. Disputes about how the reception desk works and about waiting in a queue are not dealt with through mediation. The second route is the courts: you need a lawyer, it takes a long time and it costs money.
A complaint against the doctor as a professional goes to the Ordem dos Médicos (the medical association) and its disciplinary councils. They decide on the doctor's professional responsibility, not on your compensation.
“An update on my story. The clinic still hasn't said a word. I talked to a lawyer, she said the complaints book doesn't work here and it won't scare them, they don't answer letters because any letter means liability for them. They know they made a series of mistakes. She said not to drag it out and to go to the clinic tomorrow, record it on a voice recorder, I don't even have to hide that I'm recording, and call the police.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkberemennost_portugal13.04.2026
What it costs, according to community conversations
| appointment without insurance, 15 minutes | €200 in January 2025: the doctor didn't go through some of the test results the patient had brought | source |
| appointment with a second doctor, Lisbon | €120 in April 2026 at a private clinic; the doctor still didn't issue the referral the patient had come for | source |
| ENT appointment at a private clinic | €83 in Porto in August 2022 — an appointment with procedures and a prescription | source |
What changed
- 29 August 2026 — added how to complain if you aren't given a doctor
- 29 August 2026 — added how to change family doctor in the SNS and what to do if your doctor has left but is still listed as yours
- 28 August 2026 — added a link to the guide on the complaints book (Livro de Reclamações)
What to bring
- ID document and Número de Utente (your patient number in the public health service)
- a copy of your file (processo clínico) and summaries of your appointments
- test results, scans and discs from examinations
- treatment instructions and prescriptions — from both the first doctor and the second
- bills and receipts for appointments and tests
- correspondence with the clinic: letters, replies, dates of phone calls
- the blue duplicate of the complaints book form or the number of your electronic complaint
- your insurance policy and the insurer's phone number
- the doctor's name and specialty, the date and time of the appointment
Where people most often trip up
- Patient complaints are handled by the ERS, not by the IGAS inspectorate (Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde): its reporting channel is for corruption and whistleblower protection, and it sends patients to the ERS itself.
- The electronic complaints book is only compulsory for private, cooperative and social-sector establishments; for a public health centre, you write in the yellow paper book or go straight to the ERS.
- Don't throw away the blue duplicate of the complaint form: its number is used to check on your case.
- They must give you the complaints book straight away and free of charge; “talk to the manager first” is no reason to refuse.
- A complaint won't get your money back or establish that you were harmed: for that, there is mediation through the regulator or the courts.
- Seeing your file is free, but a doctor's report (relatório médico) is a paid service, and it doesn't replace a copy of your file.
- A second opinion makes sense from a doctor in the same specialty: the view of a specialist in a different field doesn't cancel out the first one.
- Don't stop the prescribed treatment before the second doctor has looked at the paperwork: stopping it on your own is more dangerous than waiting.
- At a private clinic, changing doctor may require new authorisation from your insurer — ask about this before the appointment.
- Write down dates, names and what was said straight away: there is no deadline for a complaint, but six months later it's almost impossible to recall the details.
How it went for people
A place at the health centre after a complaint
A pregnant woman could not get an appointment at the health centre in Almada by email, by phone or in person. She came with a message from the SNS 24 line that named a day, but reception told her it wasn't an appointment because no time was given, and wouldn't let her see the duty doctor: there was one doctor for the whole clinic, and anyone feeling unwell should go to A&E. She described all this in the complaints book. Two weeks later the centre called her itself, found her a place and gave her an appointment; after that, she was booked by email a few days in advance.
Money refunded the next morning
At 35 weeks pregnant, a woman was admitted to a private hospital. She had no insurance: the A&E visit cost €200, the admission €2,100 and each day on the ward €725. She was promised part of the money back on discharge, but two weeks later it still hadn't been returned — neither calls nor visits helped. She wrote in the complaints book: half an hour later a member of staff came out and promised to look into it, and the next morning the money was refunded.
A second opinion instead of urgent surgery
A man was told he would go blind within two months and needed an urgent operation. He got a second opinion at A&E, where they saw no such urgency. By the time he told his story, he had been waiting for the operation for four months, and his sight hadn't changed in that time. He himself feels that the waiting is unpleasant, but that in his case the doctors dealt with it honestly.
The third doctor spotted the child's tongue-tie
A child had a short tongue frenulum: a forked tip, the tongue wouldn't stick out, and breastfeeding was very painful. The paediatrician and the paediatric surgeon didn't see the problem. The diagnosis was made by a paediatric dental surgeon — one quick look was enough for him. After the frenulum was snipped (this was done outside Portugal), feeding settled down.
Two pages in the complaints book about a doctor
Early in a pregnancy, the doctor doing the ultrasound scan refused to confirm the pregnancy, called the foetus a “foreign object” and joked about having a scan the day after conception. The woman wrote a complaint about her in the complaints book — two pages long.
Paediatrician refused a referral, appointment cancelled
Parents brought their two-month-old daughter to a private clinic in Lisbon for a routine appointment with vaccinations. The doctor announced from the outset that they were late — although the family had been waiting forty minutes in the waiting room to be called — twice ignored a request to speak English, and then refused to give a referral: he isn't the child's doctor and doesn't know her. In the end the appointment was cancelled at reception so that the family wouldn't have to pay anything. The vaccinations weren't given, and the whole thing took three hours.
Retold in our own words from messages in open chats. The link leads to the full original message.