University, Salutequità: 'Italy lacks targeted specialists and NHS attractiveness'

“Abolishing the limited number at the Faculty of Medicine does not solve the problems of assistance and also risks creating unemployed doctors. This is because Italy, according to the latest OECD data for 2023, has 4.3 doctors per thousand inhabitants compared to a European average of 4, therefore already today an absolute excess number. What is missing however are 'targeted' specialists in sectors such as emergency, geriatrics, anaesthesia, resuscitation, palliative care and general medicine itself, where age will soon lead. to a strong shortage of these professional figures in the area”. Thus to Adnkronos Salute the president of Salutequità Tonino Aceti, after the green light to the basic text for the reform of entrance to Medicine adopted unanimously by the Senate, which will abolish entrance tests from next year, with an opening to all in the first semester and the continuation of the training course based on the results obtained, maintaining planning and ranking.

“On the contrary, we have a very strong shortage of nurses who today, again according to OECD data, in Italy are 6.4 for every thousand inhabitants compared to the European average of 9.5 – underlines Aceti – Also in this case, working only on increasing the places available for university courses would not solve the problem of nursing shortages. In fact, the national average of applications for nursing registration is 1.2 applications per place advertised, and in some regions not even 1 application per place has been reached. 1 place”.

For these reasons, “it is necessary to implement concrete policies and measures aimed at structuring a path that aims at 5 objectives”, lists the expert. “1. Greater organizational well-being (today burnout reigns supreme in healthcare professions which are all underestimated as organic); 2. More courage to innovate organizational and professional models in order to make them truly in step with the needs of patients and the National Health Service; 3. More safety for professionals subject to constant and repeated verbal and physical attacks; 4. Higher salaries to make the public service attractive compared to the private sector and more convenient to work in Italy than to go abroad; 5. Different tax policies that allow not only to lighten the burden for students”, but also to “encourage the over 25,000 doctors and 30,000 nurses graduated in Italy to return to our country – where training is among the best in the world, as everyone recognizes us, and which is cost over 5 billion for these two professions – who today work elsewhere, with greater earnings and an assured future/career”.