About Us

Formerly known as "Linha de Saúde 24", SNS 24 is now more than a telephone service and presents itself as "The door to the National Health Service". Through the omnichannel strategy, it ensures simple access to the National Health Service and avoids inappropriate trips to the health centre or hospital.

Currently, SNS 24 has four main channels – SNS 24 Portal, Telephone Line, SNS 24 App and SNS 24 Counter – all of them fulfilling the mission of providing information and services that ensure greater proximity of the National Health Service to citizens.

SNS 24 Portal

Launched in 2019, its mission is two major objectives for the user:

• Promote health literacy, through the provision of content on public health and well-being, created in close coordination with the responsible entities in each area. Increase the notoriety and knowledge of the various services of the NHS by providing its service guides, bringing together accessible, clear and reliable information, adapted to the user, with an intuitive and inclusive user experience, in accordance with the AMA's accessibility standards.
• Facilitate the individual management of health information, ensuring in the authenticated area of the portal the user's quick access to their entire health record: consultation of test results, consultation requests, prescriptions, contacts with health professionals, issuance of Documents and Certificates, among others, optimizing and making positive the user's experience in finding all their information related to this area gathered in the same space, from different providers and entities.

Telephone line – 808 24 24 24

Inauguration of the July 24, 2017, the line 808242424 complemented the then existing Triage, Monitoring and Referral service, adding a set of new information and administrative services. Thus, today the SNS 24 line integrates the following services:

• Triage, Counseling and Referral Service: it is provided permanently and uninterruptedly – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Clinical Information Service: eThis service is intended to clarify doubts presented by the user, both in the scope of general health and public health issues, namely on the prevention of communicable diseases, healthy lifestyles and diet, among others
• Non-Clinical and Administrative Information Service: is a telephone and digital service available between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., 7 days a week, to enable quick and easy access to general information, available on the SNS 24 portal, or other non-clinical issues related to the provision of health services
• Psychological Counselling Service: aims to support the psychological concerns and challenges of users and health professionals. This service is performed by clinical psychologists and is available 24/7

SNS 24 App

A App SNS 24 is a mobile application that allows citizens to access a wide range of digital health information and services such as consulting test results, accessing the vaccination record, viewing the health agenda with upcoming events, registering and consulting health measurements, adding users (such as children or ascendants), or even perform a previously scheduled teleconsultation.

It is already a reference in the accessibility of digital health services for mobile and has had a strong recognition for its innovative character.

In 2022 it was distinguished with several awards, including the "ACEPI Navegantes XXI Award", in the Best Digital Project Central Public Administration category, the Honorable Mention "Healthcare Excellence", awarded by APAH, and the Honorable Mention of "ISCTE Public Policies", in the Central Public Administration category.

SNS 24 Counter

O Balcão SNS 24 is a space that aims to facilitate and promote contact with digital and telehealth services, available remotely, among citizens who do not have technological equipment, internet or the necessary digital literacy, thus guaranteeing them access and proximity to the National Health Service.

It is the result of a partnership between Shared Services of the Ministry of Health, municipalities, parish councils, Health Center Groups and Regional Health Administrations. These partner entities now provide, at their facilities, an SNS 24 Desk with employees duly qualified to provide assisted support to the citizen.

Accessibility

Taking into account accessibility issues, SNS 24 also ensures the accessible contact of the deaf citizen, both in the Screening, Counseling and Referral Service, and in the administrative service, in two different ways – video call or Web chat. The video call service allows the establishment of contact with image/video, between the deaf citizen and a Portuguese sign language interpreter, and in writing with nurses or administrative staff of the SNS 24 through the Web chat, ensuring communication for any situation of non-emergent illness or information of an administrative nature. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has no associated cost.

SNS 24 maintains an attitude of innovation and adaptation to the needs of users, always with the main objective of being the gateway to the National Health Service.

SNS 24 communication campaigns