The inclusion of the Socio-Pedagogical Professional Educator in the Public Health National Collective Agreement: regulatory analysis, professional value and perspectives for the integrated education-health system

Abstract

The renewal of the National Collective Labour Agreement for the Public Health Sector (2022–2024), signed on October 27, 2025, introduced, under Article 15, the professional profile of the Socio-Pedagogical Professional Educator, marking a turning point in the recognition of the educational dimension within healthcare services. This inclusion is situated within a complex regulatory framework defined by Law 205/2017, Article 33-bis of Decree-Law 104/2020 (converted into Law 126/2020), and Law 55/2024.

The article examines the impact of this contractual innovation, highlighting how the structural presence of this professional role responds to the need for a holistic and integrated approach to care—one that is capable of combining clinical well-being with relational and social well-being—in line with the challenges of contemporary healthcare systems.