According to the OE, liability waivers are five times higher when compared to November 2021 data.

Among the statements that reached the OE, the majority correspond to professionals from the Hospital de Leiria (3,484), from the Centro Hospitalar do Oeste (comprising the hospital units of Caldas da Rainha, Peniche and Torres Vedras) – Caldas da Rainha (561) and from the Coimbra Hospital and University Centre (338).

The south of the country is the second most affected region, with a total of 1726 requests for liability waivers, with the Algarve being the region with the most requests made, 197 in total.

In the Azores, 128 nurses used this declaration, while in Madeira there were 37.

Citing international studies, the order states that “for each additional patient under the care of a nurse, mortality rises by seven percent in hospitals”.

During the pandemic crisis, in January 2021, the OE made it possible to request the declaration, to prevent disciplinary, civil, or criminal actions from patients.