From waiting lists to human capital, the challenges of healthcare in Nadef

2023-09-30 19:17:54

Waiting lists, valorisation of ‘human capital’, strengthening of the territory and hospitals. While the Nadef (Update note to the Economic and Financial Document) is focusing on the possible room for maneuver for healthcare, these are some of the main challenges on which the game for the sector could focus. One of the objectives had been made clear on several occasions by the Minister of Health himself, Orazio Schillaci: speaking of the additional resources for the National Health Fund, in view of the Budget law, the reference figure was repeatedly indicated as 3 or 4 billion more , to be allocated as a priority to National Health Service personnel.

At the beginning of the month, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, also had the opportunity to speak about another crucial issue: “We are also thinking about the tax relief on overtime for doctors and nurses to begin to resolve the issue of waiting lists”, he explained . The hypothesis that could materialize in the next Maneuver, according to previews reported by the ‘Sole 24 Ore’, is a flat tax of 15% on the extra work of doctors and nurses. While the Minister of Public Administration, Paolo Zangrillo, in recent days focused the spotlight on the renewal of contracts. After the signing of the pre-agreement for the 2019-2021 collective bargaining agreement for doctors, veterinarians and healthcare managers, an important indication could come from Nadef for the new 2022-2024 contract. From what we learn, in the links there are two legislative proposals: one on the reorganization and strengthening of local and hospital assistance and one on the reorganization of healthcare professions and supervised bodies.

“Given that we have no certainties – Filippo Anelli, president of the National Federation of Medical Orders (Fnomceo) commented to time.news Salute – however we have great confidence that the anticipations and priorities indicated by President Meloni and Minister Schillaci regarding healthcare will be transformed in government acts. For us the objective remains that of increasing the attractiveness of the NHS for doctors and health professions – he observes – For this reason we need resources allocated and tied to professionals to increase their number (remove or modify the ceiling for hiring set at that of 2004), and reduce the gap which is too wide between Italian salaries and those of other European countries”.

And again, the number one Italian white coat lists, it is necessary to “equalize the remuneration of the training process of doctors in training in general medicine with that of specialists, in order to regain attractiveness towards this profession and reform local medicine, allowing AFT (territorial functional aggregations) of general medicine to manage primary care in community homes without losing the precious widespread presence in every territory of our country and starting teamwork with other healthcare professions”. Anelli then adds “the rapid closure of the National Agreement for general medicine for the three-year period 2019-2021, to finally start negotiations for the reform of the territory by identifying the relevant resources”. Ambitious objectives, those cited by the president of the Italian doctors and on which the Minister of Health himself has focused attention several times.

“On the reorganization of the supervised bodies – Anelli finally concludes – we are ready to give our contribution also through the consultation of the health professions”. It is also important “to start the governance reform of the NHS by giving professionals a greater role in identifying the health objectives that healthcare facilities must achieve”. (by Lucia Scopelliti)