“More than 24 thousand calls were answered in a single day. In the same period of 2024, on January 2nd, the Line answered just over 10 thousand calls”, says the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS) in a note.

In the first two days of 2025, more than 36 thousand calls were answered, corresponding to an average of 750 calls per hour, which represents almost double the service capacity of the same period last year, when around 16 thousand calls were recorded (approximately 330 calls per hour).

“The significant increase in daily calls, which occurred in these first days of 2025, impacted the average waiting times on Line SNS 24, leading to specific challenges in human resources management that caused, in certain periods, long waiting times”, highlights the SPMS.

With the aim of strengthening the response capacity, reinforcement is being made, both by the SPMS and the operator Altice, in the recruitment of more health professionals, namely nurses and pharmacists.

The new digital screening for acute respiratory symptoms, available to users aged 18 and over, has already made it possible to carry out more than 5 thousand screenings since it began on January 1st.

The SPMS notes that there was an increase of around 13% in situations referred to Primary Health Care, with around 1,500 appointments being scheduled through SNS Line 24, helping to avoid unnecessary trips to emergency services.

“The significant increase in calls demonstrates NHS 24’s ongoing efforts to strengthen response capacity, especially at this time of year when demand for healthcare services is high,” he points out.

The SPMS reiterates “complete confidence in working together” with the operator, Altice, maintaining close coordination and teamwork, thus ensuring that the services of Line SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) continue to be a reference for all citizens who need support in the face of non-emergent health problems.

The SNS 24 Line ended 2024 with more than 3.5 million calls answered, representing an 87% growth compared to the previous year, “which reinforces the crucial role of this service in access to the National Health Service”.