Doctors in Portugal who fail to fulfill scheduled emergency shift obligations will be barred from taking on additional paid, task-based work (“à tarefa”). This new regulation aims to address staffing shortages in hospital emergency departments. The measure penalizes physicians who do not provide 48 hours’ notice when cancelling an emergency shift. Authorities intend to discourage doctors from prioritizing supplemental income over essential emergency care duties. The policy seeks to ensure consistent coverage and improve patient access to urgent medical attention. Implementation details and potential appeals processes have not been fully disclosed. The change is expected to impact doctors supplementing their income through additional work arrangements.