The President of the Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association, António Lopes, took part this Tuesday, via videoconference, in a parliamentary hearing of the 5th Standing Specialised Committee on Health and Civil Protection of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
The hearing focused on the changes introduced by Ministerial Orders Nos. 190/2026 and 191/2026, of 30 April, to the procedures for referral and prescription of physical medicine and rehabilitation care.
The involvement of the Portuguese Physiotherapists’ Association follows on from the monitoring that has been carried out on this matter, particularly following the institutional meetings held in the Autonomous Region of Madeira on 11 and 12 June, with the Regional Secretariat for Health and Civil Protection and with various parliamentary groups.
At the hearing, the President of the Order reiterated the position of the Order of Physiotherapists regarding the need to ensure that physiotherapy services are more accessible, appropriate and focused on patients’ needs, whilst recognising the technical and scientific autonomy of physiotherapists and their contribution to the health system.
He also emphasised that, under the current legal framework, physiotherapy services can and should be requested via referral from any doctor, regardless of their specialism, with physiotherapists bearing responsibility for the design, planning, delivery, assessment and adjustment of their treatment.
Concern was also expressed regarding the reversal of the model previously in force in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, under which doctors from various specialities could refer patients for physiotherapy, as this represents a step backwards in relation to developments in healthcare delivery models and the rational use of existing human resources.
Other concerns highlighted included the risk of duplicate medical appointments, the potential loss of entitlement to reimbursement of healthcare costs, and the clinical, social and economic impact of postponing the start of treatment.
The Order will continue to monitor developments in this area, in collaboration with the Madeira Regional Directorate and the relevant authorities, whilst remaining available to contribute to solutions that improve the public’s access to physiotherapy care.