A clear lack of interest from the current administration of the Hospitals of the Algarve Group, despite having an agreement in place to have this life-saving equipment installed, has enabled the Hospital Particular in Alvor to step in and accept a new Hyperbaric Chamber.

Hyperbaric chambers, also called decompression chambers or recompression chambers are sealed chamber in which a high-pressure environment is used primarily to treat decompression sickness in divers, gas embolisms, carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene resulting from infection by anaerobic bacteria, tissue injury arising from radiation therapy for cancer and wounds that are difficult to heal.

The service was destined to be opened at Portimão Hospital but now the equipment is being installed in the Hospital Particular do Algarve.

The price of houses in the UK experienced the biggest monthly increase in five years when growth of 2.4% took place in February.

Analysts had predicted an increase of 0.7%, so the figure caused heads to lift, with one warning that prices are “approaching madness”.

The average house price in the UK is now £179,872.

Expats enjoy a bit of food smuggling, especially when it comes to sausages and bakes beans.

Almost two thirds of people who have second homes outside the UK admit they have secreted away different food items to enjoy whilst abroad, according to a new survey.

The Administrative and Fiscal Court in Loulé has dismissed the injunction lodged by four business associations that aimed to halt the IKEA development near Loulé.

The plaintiffs, the Association of Hotels and Resorts in the Algarve (AHETA), the Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE/Algarve), the Traders Association of the Algarve Region (ACRAL) and the Business Association of Quarteira and Vilamoura - as well as some individuals, have decided to go to the Court of Appeal on environmental grounds.

The socialist party in Lagoa has accused the Government of inaction on carrying out its health policies, referring to the worrysome plight of Lagoa residents, many oif whom are without a family doctor, and things are set to get worse as the summertime increase in population will add 200,000 tourists and part time residents to the list.

According to estimates used by the socialists to highlight the plight of the local population, "there are already about 6,000 users without medical cover in Ferragudo, Carvoeiro, Estômbar, Parchal and Porches, with only 56.8% of users on the civil register having medical cover from a doctor, therefore there are around 12,000 users without a doctor."

Vacancies, are being advertised, plenty of them, but Portugal’s doctors are avoiding the Algarve by taking jobs in the big cities or moving away from the country.

The head of urology at Faro Hospital said that the lack of anaesthetists is generating a reduction of 40% in scheduled operations in this area. In Portimão for those patients waiting for operations the excuse is always the same – no doctors.

Algarve MP Cristóvão Norte has denounced the commercial behaviour of airports operator ANA in its dealings with car rental companies.

Norte, an Algarve PSD MP, said today that the "predatory practices" of ANA against rent-a-car companies constitute an "abuse of its dominance."

A lawyer who fought for a family following a crash in Portugal says the incident turned their lives upside down.

Mark Lee, from law firm Penningtons Manches, spoke after June Vann, 60, and her family won their fight to prove a driver was solely responsible for the crash.