The Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association, represented by its President, António Lopes, took part on 9 October in Coimbra in a meeting at which the professional health associations made a joint commitment to The Coimbra 2026 Declaration — The Wellbeing of Health Professionals in the Governance of Health Systems.
This commitment, which will be formalised upon the signing of the Declaration, aims to place the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals amongst the priorities for governance, quality and sustainability within healthcare organisations and systems.
Organised by the Portuguese Psychologists« Association, with the support of the Coimbra Local Health Unit, the initiative took place as part of the Strategic Forum »Work and Professionals in the Health Sector | Governance, Well-being and Sustainability’, which formed part of the 7th National Congress of the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association.
Held on the eve of World Mental Health Day, which falls on 10 October, the meeting emphasised the importance of creating working conditions that protect the health and wellbeing of professionals, recognising that this responsibility cannot depend solely on each person’s individual ability to cope with the demands of their job.
The Declaration recognises that safeguarding the health and wellbeing of professionals requires a shared responsibility and action to improve their working conditions. To put this vision into practice, it sets out five commitments:
- To integrate the health of healthcare professionals into governance;
- To understand, assess and monitor working conditions and the quality of work;
- Prevention through the organisation and transformation of work;
- To develop leadership and healthy working cultures;
- Turning evidence into accountability and action.
Priorities include the regular assessment of psychosocial risks, accompanied by action plans and monitoring of outcomes, and improvements to factors such as workload, available resources, autonomy, leadership, recognition and the balance between work, personal and family life.
The document calls for action from policy-makers, health organisations and their leaders, professional bodies, academic and scientific institutions, and healthcare professionals themselves, recognising the well-being of carers as an essential prerequisite for the quality of care and the sustainability of healthcare systems.