Italy Faces Healthcare Crisis: Urgent Plan Calls for Increased Staffing and Pay
Rome, Italy – A critical shortage of healthcare professionals is pushing the Italian National Health Service (SSN) to its breaking point, leading to extended wait times for specialist appointments and a surge in patients seeking care in the private sector. A new plan, spearheaded by healthcare leaders, proposes a meaningful overhaul including increased hiring, improved compensation, and a focus on integrating hospital and territorial care.
Addressing the Staffing Shortage with Competitive Pay
Recent data from Agenas, the Italian National agency for Regional Health Services, highlights the growing strain on the system, evidenced by lengthening queues for treatment and escalating demand for private healthcare options. The proposed solution centers around an “Exceptional Hiring Plan” aiming to add approximately 10,000 specialist doctors and 20,000 nurses nationwide. This initiative seeks to bolster services,particularly in emergency departments,and improve the management of chronic conditions.
Though, attracting and retaining qualified professionals requires a ample increase in salaries. Professor Francesco cognetti, President of the Forum of the Scientific Societies of Italian Hospital and University Clinics, advocates for a minimum net salary of €2,000 per month for doctors and €1,000 per month for nurses – figures applicable to both current staff and new hires. This adjustment is deemed “essential” to stem the outflow of healthcare workers to the private sector or abroad, particularly to countries like Germany and the United Kingdom which offer more competitive packages.
The current system of “gettoni” (session fees) for doctors, while intended to supplement income, is proving insufficient to incentivize participation, especially in demanding specialties. Targeted financial incentives are also proposed for doctors and trainees specializing in critical areas such as emergency medicine and anesthesiology. Despite ongoing recruitment efforts, competition participation remains low due to unfavorable working conditions and inadequate remuneration. For exmaple, recent competitions in the Lazio region (rome) for emergency room physicians saw fewer applicants than available positions.
Beyond increasing the number of doctors and nurses, the plan calls for the introduction of new professional roles focused on innovation and research.these include Data Managers, biostatisticians, specialized research nurses, and experts in Artificial Intelligence – roles crucial for modernizing healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes.The initiative also emphasizes strengthening the integration between hospitals and local healthcare services (territorio), aiming to provide more complete and accessible care closer to patients’ homes. This includes expanding community health centers and investing in telemedicine infrastructure, particularly in rural areas like Calabria and Sicily, which face disproportionately high healthcare access challenges.
