Prescription for visits and exams, half validity. How to book first services and checks: what is changing

Maria has an autoimmune rheumatological disease and must undergo periodic checks: «In June 2023 the specialist prescribed me the prescription from the Health Service exams to be carried out near the check-up visit, set for April 2024, but I wasn't able to do them – she says –. At the hospital they said that thechallenging era expired since from January 1st in Lazio it is valid no longer for one year but for six months. I asked the family doctor to prescribe the tests again but, while waiting for the new appointment, it is missed the check-up visit. I then read about website of the Lazio region that the requests made by doctors by 31 December 2023 are valid for booking services until 30 June. It's a shame that he wasn't actually able to take the exams.”

The duration of recipes is changing

There duration of prescriptions for specialist visits and tests And also changed in other Regions. In Lombardy, the challenge will last from October 2023 «temporarily” six months instead of a yearas explained on the regional website (resolution no. 957), in sight of the entry into force (postponed to January 2025) of the new tariffs for outpatient services guaranteed within the Essential Levels of Assistance (Lea).
In some regionslike Sicily, the validity of the recipe it was always six monthsbut also the others are conformingreducing the duration to six months” explains Dr. Luigi Galvano, of the Presidency Council of the Italian Society of General Practitioners (Simg) who suggests: “If you have appointments for visits and tests to be carried out, it is a good idea to verify (on the regional or ASL website or at the Cup) that the validity of the recipe has not changed. If it lasts 6 months, the service must be booked by that date.”

Long waits for one in five chronically ill patients

THE inconvenience for citizens they don't end here, as reported by Tiziana Nicoletti, head of the national coordination of the chronic and rare disease associations of Cittadinanzattiva: «More than one chronic patient in five complains waiting lists too long is to book first specialist visits and diagnostic tests but also for controls. Reduce the validity time of orders by halfthen, it is a further obstacle that the chronically ill they have to face in the treatment process and it goes bucking with respect to the commitment to reduction of bureaucracy and simplification of procedures, which has long been requested by many parties, to meet people's needs. All in one framework, that of the further extension on January 1st of the entry into force of the new Lea services: to add insult to injury.”

Priority codes, what to know to protect yourself

«When the doctor prescribes specialist visits and tests – explains Doctor Galvano – he is required to specify the diagnostic question on the Health Service prescriptionthat is, the health problem, and whether it is a performance performed for the first time or of a check. In the latter case it is the specialist who indicates the times, for example, prescribes tests every six months to check whether the prescribed therapy is effective. In case of “first login”, instead, the doctor indicates col priority code The clinical time in which the service must be performed».

The classes of priority for outpatient specialists provided for by the National Waiting List Government Plan are:

• «U», urgent: the patient has the right to perform the service within 72 hours;
• «B“, brief: visit or tests within 10 days;
• «D», deferrable: visit within 30 days, instrumental tests (CT scan, Rx etc.) within 60 days;
• «P», programmedwithin 120 days.