Italy’s Healthcare System in Crisis: Shortage of Personnel and Economic Hardship for Families
According to the 19th Health Report presented by the Center for applied economic research in healthcare (Crea), Italy is facing a severe shortage of healthcare personnel and economic hardships for families due to healthcare costs. The report highlights the need to hire almost a million doctors, nurses, and care assistants to fill the gap with the average of EU countries. This shortage is even more critical considering that Italy has one of the oldest populations in the world, with approximately 10 million patients over 65 with chronic pathologies expected by 2032.
The report paints a bleak picture of the future of Italy’s National Health System, with a growing number of chronic patients over 65 and a lack of resources to provide adequate care. The lack of healthcare personnel, including doctors and nurses, is exacerbating the situation, with over 900 thousand units of personnel required to fill the gap compared to the average of EU countries. Additionally, Italy is also lacking essential resources to care for non-self-sufficient individuals, with only 86.4 per thousand inhabitants over 75, compared to much higher numbers in other European countries.
Furthermore, the report highlights the economic hardship faced by families due to healthcare consumption expenses. Private health spending reached 40.1 billion euros in 2022, with the wealthiest families spending more on healthcare compared to less well-off families. This disparity has resulted in approximately 1.6 million households facing impoverishment due to healthcare costs, with the share of families subject to economic hardship rising in regions like Calabria, Campania, and Sardinia.
Despite these critical issues, the allocation of public resources to the healthcare sector has seen a major defunding, with only 13.7% of total public spending allocated to health in 2021, compared to the average of 16.6% of original EU countries. This drop in funding has resulted in Italy falling below the countries of Eastern Europe in terms of coverage of needs and occupying the eleventh position in spending on prevention in per capita terms among different European states.
The report calls for urgent measures to address the shortage of healthcare personnel, economic hardships faced by families, and the allocation of public resources to the healthcare sector. Without interventions, the future of Italy’s National Health System appears uncertain, especially in the face of a growing elderly population and increasing chronic health conditions.