Quality of Medical Care for Expats in Portugal

As Expats for over 30 years in different countries I am aware that the quality of our medical care is not as good as that of people who never moved outside of their healthcare system (e.g. the NHS in the UK). One of the major items is that we didn't and don't have a “family doctor”, which means a MD or a health system that maintains a record of everything that has been medically done to us for a long period of time. Depending on how lucky you are that than be from little to a lot. We have been trying to keep our own records of vaccinations, lab-tests, imaging, surgery and even medicines that we have been prescribed. How are you dealing with this since you left your home healthcare system?


Also, how do you rate the quality (not quantity and accessibility) of healthcare where you live in Portugal. Like in many poorer EU countries, their best and most mobile human resources are lured out of the country for higher salaries and better facilities. So the best Portuguese MDs one might likely find in Switzerland. How do you rate the quality of medical professionals in Portugal? We find them at bit “hands-off” (sitting in front of computer screen rather than physically examining) compared to doctors we had elsewhere. But that might be normal where you are from.