Healthcare activity across the Azores slowed during the second quarter of 2026, with both the region’s public hospitals and island health units recording fewer consultations than during the first three months of the year. The decline was particularly pronounced in hospitals, where outpatient consultations fell by nearly one-fifth, while primary healthcare services experienced a more moderate reduction.

According to preliminary figures released by the Azores Regional Statistics Service (SREA), based on data from the Azores Health Information System (SISA), the Region’s three public hospitals carried out 83,989 consultations between April and June, compared with 103,273 consultations during the first quarter of the year. This represents a decline of 19,284 consultations, or 18.7%.

The Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES) in Ponta Delgada recorded the largest decrease in absolute numbers. Consultations fell from 64,257 during the first quarter to 51,701 in the second, a reduction of 12,556 consultations, equivalent to 19.5%.

The Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira (HSEIT) also experienced a significant decline, with consultations dropping from 25,557 to 20,732, a decrease of 4,825, or 18.9%.

At the Hospital da Horta, consultations declined from 13,459 to 11,556, a reduction of 1,903 consultations, corresponding to 14.1%.

Primary healthcare services also registered lower activity, although the decrease was considerably smaller. Across the Azores’ nine island health units, the number of consultations fell from 198,354 during the first quarter to 185,494 in the second, a reduction of 12,860 consultations, or 6.5%.

Despite the overall downward trend, three island health units reported increased activity. The Pico Island Health Unit recorded the largest absolute increase, rising from 13,705 to 14,171 consultations, an increase of 466 consultations (3.4%). Santa Maria posted the highest percentage growth, with consultations increasing from 5,358 to 5,715 (6.7%), while Flores recorded a modest 0.5% increase, reaching 4,179 consultations.

The São Miguel Island Health Unit registered the largest decline in absolute terms. Consultations fell from 107,027 to 97,755, a reduction of 9,272 consultations, or 8.7%. On Terceira, consultations declined 7.4%, dropping from 42,100 to 38,980. São Jorge recorded a 7.8% decrease, Graciosa fell 6.0%, Faial declined 1.3%, while Corvo experienced the largest percentage decrease among the island health units, with consultations falling 9.7%.

Telemedicine Shows Diverging Trends

The use of telemedicine followed different patterns in hospitals and primary care.

Public hospitals recorded a 20% decline in teleconsultations, falling from 3,964 during the first quarter to 3,173 in the second. The Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo carried out 1,657 teleconsultations, 436 fewer than during the previous quarter. At the Hospital de Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, teleconsultations declined from 1,333 to 1,102, while the Hospital da Horta recorded a decrease from 538 to 414.

Although the total number declined, Terceira continued to lead the region in the proportion of consultations delivered remotely. Teleconsultations accounted for 5.32% of all consultations at the hospital, slightly higher than the 5.22% recorded during the first quarter.

Primary healthcare, however, moved in the opposite direction. Teleconsultations across the island health units increased by 6.1%, rising from 1,657 to 1,758 consultations. The largest increases occurred on Faial, where teleconsultations grew from 171 to 270, and on Graciosa, where they increased from 35 to 81.

Although it experienced a slight decline compared to the previous quarter, São Miguel continued to account for the largest number of teleconsultations in the Region, with 1,042 remote consultations conducted between April and June.

The figures released by SREA are preliminary and cover only the first two quarters of 2026, making year-over-year comparisons with the same period in 2025 unavailable. Even so, the data point to a noticeable slowdown in hospital outpatient activity during the second quarter, while primary healthcare continued to expand its use of telemedicine as an increasingly important component of patient care.

Based on a story in Correio dos Açores, Paulo Viveiros, director.