According to Publix, the implementation was underwritten by the Ministry of Health Shared Services (SPMS) and Altice, the carrier in charge of the line, and aims to improve response capacity and reduce the number of unanswered calls. Demand has far exceeded contractual expectations and is estimated to end 2025 with approximately 7 million answered calls.
The increased pressure on helplines has been further intensified by the integration of new services such as booking and the expansion of the Call Faster and Save Lives project, which already operates in 27 local health authorities and covers more than 7.8 million users. Both SPMS (Shared Services of the Ministry of Health) and Altice have ensured that technical infrastructure and redundancy enhancements are in place for helplines, which are considered the main gateway to the National Health Service.
In addition to strengthening our technological capabilities, we have also made significant investments in human resources. Nuno Kadima, head of Altice, said 2,400 new professionals were hired during the year, bringing the total number of employees to 3,701, which is higher than the number recorded during the pandemic.
The helpline is comprised primarily of nurses (85%) and also includes doctors, pharmacists, and psychologists. The company has also implemented a 30% salary increase for experts since the start of the contract in March 2024 and is recruiting an additional 400 experts, including a campaign with universities to strengthen its team.
