Italy‘s Healthcare System Faces Critical Staffing Shortages and Funding Concerns
Rome, August 10, 2025 – The escalating crisis within Italy’s healthcare workforce is identified as the primary challenge facing the national health service, according to Nino Cartabellotta, President of the Gimbe Foundation. This issue extends beyond simple shortages of nurses and specialists, encompassing widespread demotivation leading to increased early retirements and resignations. These factors directly contribute to longer waiting lists,overwhelmed emergency rooms,patients seeking care abroad,rising private healthcare costs,and ultimately,individuals forgoing necessary medical attention.
Recent data indicates that nearly 10% of the Italian population postponed or abandoned healthcare services in 2024. The NHS is struggling to deliver timely care, pushing individuals towards the private sector, which becomes financially inaccessible for many, resulting in untreated health needs. Cartabellotta emphasizes that waiting lists are a symptom of systemic weakness, not a problem solvable through temporary measures.
A recent Ministry of Health report reveals notable regional disparities.In 2023, only 13 of Italy’s regions met the essential standards of care across prevention, district healthcare, and hospital assistance. Calabria, Molise, and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano fell short in one area, while Abruzzo, Sicily, and Valle d’Aosta were deficient in two. Notably, only three of the 13 regions achieving promotion are located in Southern Italy, and even those are ranked lower overall.
Despite political rhetoric, national health funding is declining as a percentage of GDP. While the National Health Fund (FSN) has increased nominally by over 10 billion euros between 2022 and 2025, its share of GDP has fallen from 6.3% to 6.1%, representing a total cut of 13.2 billion euros over the period.
To ensure the sustainability of Italy’s public healthcare system, Cartabellotta advocates for consistent and substantial refinancing to close the 40 billion euro gap accumulated over the past 15 years. he also calls for bold systemic reforms to eliminate waste and inefficiencies, and a full embrace of digital conversion to modernize healthcare delivery.