LUZ 24 , the Hospital da Luz clinical screening phone line for urgent health situations, is celebrating its first anniversary and registers an increasing demand from the clients of this network’s hospitals and clinics. In this first year of operation, the LUZ 24 nursing team assisted over 40 thousand cases, adults and children, which were referred to the Emergency Service, urgent video consultation, specialty consultation or health self-care. Operating 24 hours a day and 365 days a year , through the national number 217 104 424 (also englobing English speaking foreign clients), this is an innovating and highly differentiated support line in Portugal . The number of callers above referred, confirm the quality of the services provided: the LUZ 24 phone line is increasingly used by all clients of Hospital da Luz network that require urgent health care. Through this service, they can get advice and solutions for their health problems, a necessity that has been increasing in the present context of pandemic the country faces. How does LUZ 24 function: Before going to the Emergency Service of any of the country’s Hospital da Luz hospitals, the clients have the possibility to call LUZ 24 and talk to an element of the specialized team of nurses. The nurses of the LUZ 24 screening team evaluate each case and refer it to the most appropriate channel and in a timely manner – such as Urgent Assistance, video consultation, priority consultation or programmed consultation, self-care (including covid-19 symptoms) and Post-Covid-19 Follow-up , among others. Every LUZ 24 screening is carried out according to demanding clinical protocols, based on the best international practice; Besides the clinical screening, the service is also available to clarify doubts before or after exams or interventions. LUZ 24 should not be used in emergency situations – in this case, the national emergency number 112 must be called. We thank all our clients for the trust they continue to place in our professionals and services, at Hospital da Luz. You can always count on us .
