In Coimbra, on October 9th, the Deans of the various Healthcare Professional Orders formalized a joint commitment by signing the Coimbra Declaration 2026 – Health of Professionals in the Governance of Healthcare Systems. The objective is to place the health and well-being of those working in the sector among the priorities for governance, quality, and sustainability of healthcare organizations and systems.
This initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Psychologists Association (OPP) with the support of the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Coimbra, was one of the highlights of the Strategic Forum: Work and Professionals in the Health Sector | Governance, Well-being, and Sustainability, held as part of the 7th National Congress of the OPP. The event brought together representatives of the Healthcare Professional Orders around a common vision and commitment.
On the eve of World Mental Health Day, the Coimbra Declaration 2026 sends a clear message: it is not enough to recognize the importance of mental health; conditions must be created to protect it. By uniting in this commitment, the Professional Orders affirm that caring for the health and well-being of caregivers cannot depend solely on each professional's individual capacity to withstand work demands.
“"The Coimbra Declaration 2026 is born from the conviction that we cannot continue to discuss the sustainability of healthcare systems without discussing the sustainability of the people themselves. And it represents the ability of different professions to unite around a common responsibility. And to transform today's reflection and consensus into a public commitment to the future of health."
“"The Coimbra Declaration translates an ambition into a concrete agenda. It proposes that healthcare professionals and their well-being become an explicit part of the governance, quality, and sustainability of healthcare organizations and systems."
This responsibility should translate into policies, governance models, organizational practices, and monitoring mechanisms that move from recognizing the problem to prevention and action.
The Coimbra Declaration establishes five commitments: integrate professional health into governance; know, measure, and monitor working conditions and quality; prevent through work organization and transformation; develop healthy leadership and work cultures; and transform evidence into responsibility and action. It advocates for regular assessment of psychosocial risks and working conditions, accompanied by action plans and result monitoring. Factors such as workload, autonomy, resources, leadership, recognition, psychological safety, and work-life balance are considered determinants of professional health that organizations can and should address.
The document also addresses ongoing transformations in the sector, including digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, and automation, advocating for their implementation with the participation of specialized professionals and evaluation of impacts on workload, skills, autonomy, health, and safety.
The Declaration directs recommendations to the Government, governing, planning, and regulatory bodies, organizations and their management, leadership, Professional Orders and organizations, academic and scientific institutions, and professionals themselves. It specifically calls for the recognition of professional health, well-being, and sustainability as strategic priorities, to be integrated into health policies, workforce planning and development, governance and funding models, and digital transformation policies.
The promoting entities are the Portuguese Psychologists Association, with the support of the Local Health Unit of Coimbra. The signatories include the Order of Social Workers, Order of Biologists, Order of Nurses, Order of Pharmacists, Order of Physiotherapists, Order of Physicians, Order of Dentists, Order of Veterinarians, and Order of Nutritionists.
