The Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS), manager of SNS Line 24, attributes this “historic result” of calls answered this year, 87% more compared to the same period in 2023, to the “expansion of services” resulting from initiatives such as the “Call Before, Save Lives” project.

According to the data, in December, until Christmas Day, the service answered more than 390 thousand calls, having exceeded the November figure (388 thousand). The record for the year was reached on December 16, with 21,187 calls answered, “an evolution that is in line with what has been the pattern of incidence of respiratory diseases”.

“The average waiting time for this year is approximately one minute and 48 seconds, just above the 57 seconds in 2023, despite the number of calls having almost doubled”, says the SPMS.

They add that at specific times of the year, such as winter, at times of greater demand, there may be a specific increase in the average response time, but the Line “always ensures service, avoiding unnecessary travel and increasing the safety and comfort of patients who can benefit from the care and pre-screening in their own home”.

Started in May 2023 and already operating in 25 local health units, the “Call Before, Save Lives” project requires users to call SNS 24 before going to the emergency room.

The expansion of this project has already allowed SNS 24 to schedule more than 233 thousand consultations in primary health care, which is equivalent to around 12 thousand consultations per month. It also advised 363 thousand users to remain in self-care at home, with a follow-up call after a few hours, and referred more than 12 thousand to primary health care, with an appointment scheduled for the same or next day or to Clinical Care Centers.

Around a million users were referred to emergency services, the data says. Another of the services created was the SNS Grávida Line, which came into force on June 1st and, from that date, until Christmas Day, answered more than 70 thousand calls. On December 17, the Teleconsulta Linha SNS 24 pilot project was launched, aimed at users who, after screening, meet the clinical conditions for remote medical care.