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DownloadCOUNTRY: Italy
KNOWLEDGE BROKER: Annalisa Malgieri, Statistician and Coordinator of the National Health Workforce Planning Process, Health Professions and Human Resources, NHS Department, Ministry of Health, Italy
SEPEN thanks the knowledge brokers for their contribution in checking and completing the country-information. SEPEN is accountable for the content of the country profiles.
| Type of information | Source | Year | Remarks |
| Table 1: Health workforce stock and replacement | OECD | 2018 | Age characteristics of the nursing stock are not reported. |
| Figure 1: Mobility level in absolute numbers | OECD, Eurostat (inflow data for physicians) |
2018 | Only immigration data for OECD countries are available. The data produced are therefore incomplete. Not all OECD-countries register the country of origin of incoming health professionals and some do not register incoming health professionals at all. Emigration data are based on immigration numbers in other OECD-countries, as emigration as such is not registered nor reported. |
| Figure 2a: Number of practicing physicians per 1000 inhabitants | Eurostat | 2018 | Figure 2a presents regional distribution of physicians. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Figure 2b: Number of practicing nurses and midwives per 1000 inhabitants | Eurostat | 2016 | Figure 2b presents regional distrubution of nursing and midwifery. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Statistic | Number | Data Year |
| Total population | 60 359 546 | 2019 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 83,4 | 2018 |
Source: Eurostat
| Statistic | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Data year |
| Physicians | 402 690 | 6,66 | 240 301 | 3,98 | 251 050 | 4,15 | 2018 |
| > Generalist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | 52 998 | 0,88 | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
| > Specialist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | 187 303 | 3,10 | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
| Nurses | 449 781 | 7,44 | 346 947 | 5,74 | 406 664 | 6,73 | 2018 |
| Midwives | 20 618 | 0,34 | 16 807 | 0,28 | 17 731 | 0,29 | 2018 |
| Dentists | 62 150 | 1,03 | 50 305 | 0,83 | 50 305 | 0,83 | 2018 |
| Pharmacists | 97 034 | 1,61 | 71 953 | 1,19 | 73 896 | 1,22 | 2018 |
| Physiotherapists | Not reported | Not reported | 61883 | 1,02 | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
Source: OECD
| Statistic | Number | per 1000 inhabitants | Data Year |
| Psychologists | 63 128 | 1,04 | 2017 |
| Name | Role | Website |
| ISTAT | National Institute of Statistics, in charge of data collection on active workforce, including the health sector. | https://www.istat.it/it/lavoro-e-retribuzioni |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Ministry of Health – DG Health professions and human resources of NHS (DGPROF) |
The DGPROF is in charge of regulating the health professions, supervising the professional orders of health care practitioners, health professionals’ recognition of foreign qualifications, competitions and legal status of NHS staff, relations between the NHS and the universities in the field of basic and specialist training of health professionals, establishing health professionals’ future needs in conjunction with the Regions and other public administrations and identifying the professional profiles of NHS staff. |
http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/ministro/p4_5_2_4_1.jsp?lingua=italiano&menu=uffCentrali&label=uffCentrali&id=1152 |
| Abruzzo Region | Responsible for providing public healthcare (organisation, quality, quantity and expenditure) at regional level | www.regione.abruzzo.it |
| Basilicata Region | www.regione.basilicata.it | |
| Calabria Regional | www.regione.calabria.it | |
| Campania Region | www.regione.campania.it | |
| Emilia Romagna Region | www.regione.emilia-romagna.it | |
| Friuli Venezia Giulia Region | www.regione.emilia-romagna.it | |
| Lazio Region | www.regione.lazio.it | |
| Liguria Region | www.regione.liguria.it | |
| Lombardy Region | www.regione.lombardia.it | |
| Marche Region | www.regione.marche.it | |
| Molise Region | www.regione.molise.it | |
| Piemonte Region | www.regione.piemonte.it | |
| Province of Bolzano | www.provincia.bz.it | |
| Province of Trento | www.provincia.tn.it | |
| Puglia Region | www.regione.puglia.it | |
| Sardegna Region | www.regione.sardegna.it | |
| Sicilia Region | www.regione.sicilia.it | |
| Toscana Region | www.regione.toscana.it | |
| Umbria Region | www.regione.umbria.it | |
| Valle d’Aosta Region | www.regione.vda.it | |
| Veneto Region | www.regione.veneto.it |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Ministry of University and research (MIUR) – DG for Students, Development and Internationalisation of Higher Education | Management of procedures for access to courses with a fixed number (numerus clausus) at national level. Teaching regulations, training offer and accreditation procedures for university courses (degrees, master’s degrees and single-cycle master’s degrees. Relations with professional associations for professional traineeships. Establishment and accreditation of specialisation schools (legal professions, medical, dental, psychotherapy, etc.) and planning of related access. Operation of the National Observatory for the training of specialist physicians and the National Commission for access to specialist schools of medicine and the Consultative Technical Commission for Psychotherapy. | https://www.miur.gov.it/web/guest/DGSINFS |
| Name | Role | Website |
| National federation of health professions local orders | The Orders and the relevant national Federations are non-economic public bodies and act as subsidiary bodies of the State, in order to protect the public interests, guaranteed by the law, related to professional practice. They are endowed with patrimonial, financial, regulatory and disciplinary autonomy and are subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Health. They are financed exclusively by the members’ contributions, with no charges for public finance. They promote and ensure the independence, autonomy and responsibility of the professions and professional practice, the technical-professional quality, the enhancement of the social role, the protection of human rights and the ethical principles of the professional practice as enshrined in the respective codes of ethics, in order to ensure the protection of individual and collective health; they do not represent trade unions. They verify the titles qualifying for professional practice and maintain the professional registers kept by the Orders themselves. This includes computerised work, advertising and also telematics. | http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/temi/p2_6.jsp?lingua=italiano&id=5133&area=professioni-sanitarie&menu=vuot |
Not reported
| Original name | Misure emergenziali per il servizio sanitario della Regione Calabria e altre misure urgenti in materia sanitaria. |
| Name in English | Emergency measures for the Calabria Region health service and other urgent health measures |
| Short description |
The law allows public health providers to increase spending on staff compared to previous years, thus allowing the replacement of staff who will retire in the coming years. From 2021, staff expenditure will then be defined according to the needs of human resources, for which it will be mandatory to define a methodology. The law also allows public health providers to recruit physicians who are still completing their specialisations. |
| Publication date | 1 July 2019 |
| Link to full text | https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/serie_generale/caricaDettaglioAtto/originario?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2019-07-01&atto.codiceRedazionale=19A04288&elenco30giorni=false |
| Original name | Bilancio di previsione dello Stato per l’anno finanziario 2020 e bilancio pluriennale per il triennio 2020-2022. |
| Name in English | Government budget for the year 2020 and multiannual budget for the three-year period 2020-2022 |
| Short description | Law prepared every year by the government, presenting its anticipated revenues and proposed spending for the coming financial year. In accordance with catch-271 of the law, the Government agrees to increasing the funds for additional specialist “training contracts” in medical schools. |
| Publication date | 27 December 2019 |
| Link to full text | Bilancio di previsione dello Stato per l’anno finanziario 2020 e bilancio pluriennale per il triennio 2020-2022. |
| Original name | Attuazione della legge 4 marzo 2009, n. 15, in materia di ottimizzazione della produttivita’ del lavoro pubblico e di efficienza e trasparenza delle pubbliche amministrazioni. |
| Name in English | Optimisation of the productivity and of the efficiency and transparency of public administrations |
| Short description | Reform of the civil servants employment relationship (including people employed in the public health providers’ sector) in the field of:
– Collective bargaining – performance assessment of staff; – Performance assessment of public administrations; – Enhancement of merit; – Promotion of equal opportunities; – Public management; – Disciplinary responsibility. |
| Publication date | 15 November 2009 |
| Link to full text | https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2009-10-27;150!vig= |
Not reported
| Original name | D.lgs. 30 dicembre 1992, n. 502 Riordino della disciplina in materia sanitaria, a norma dell’articolo 1 della legge 23 ottobre 1992, n. 421. |
| Name in English | Reform of the public health care service |
| Short description |
The law establishes, in the article number 6-ter, the duty for the Ministry of Health to set the needs for human resources for the NHS and, accordingly, to fix every year, in agreement with the Ministry of University, the student intakes at the University courses that lead to health professional qualifications. |
| Publication date | 31 July 1999 |
| Link to full text | https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:1992-12-30;502 |
| Original name | Accordo recante Determinazione del fabbisogno per l’anno accademico 2017/2018 dei laureati magistrali a ciclo unico, delle professioni sanitarie e dei laureati magistrali delle professioni sanitarie |
| Name in English | Agreement between the Government and the Regions on the student intakes of the upcoming academic year for the health professionals’ university degree courses based on the national and regional health workforce needs. |
| Short description | Agreement between the Government and the Regions on the student intakes of the upcoming academic year for the health professionals’ university degree courses based on the national and regional health workforce needs, including the forecasting methodology to be adopted to define the health workforce needs (Annex A). |
| Publication date | 5 June 2017 |
| Link to full text | http://www.regioni.it/news/2017/06/05/conferenza-stato-regioni-del-25-05-2017-accordo-recante-determinazione-del-fabbisogno-per-lanno-accademico-20172018-dei-laureati-magistrali-a-ciclo-unico-delle-professioni-sanitarie-e-dei-516895/ |
| Original name | Corsi di laurea e corsi di laurea magistrale delle Professioni Sanitarie infermieristiche, ostetriche, della riabilitazione, tecniche e della prevenzione – determinazione contributo a ristoro dei costi connessi alla formazione da erogare agli enti sanitari sedi di svolgimento dei corsi stessi – AA.AA. 2017/2018 – 2018/2019. |
| Name in English | Regional funds to partially cover the cost of health professionals’ university degree courses |
| Short description | Regional funds to partially cover the cost of health professionals’ university degree courses |
| Publication date & link to full text | Example:
|
| Original name | Educazione Continua in Medicina (ECM) |
| Name in English | Continuing medical education |
| Short description | Continuing Medical Education (CME) is a national programme of training activities that have been running in Italy since 2002. The CME promotes the maintenance of a high level of expertise related to theory, practice and communication in the health field.
Health professionals manage their training in CME in complete autonomy whilst trying to respect and prioritise those objectives of national and regional interest that have been set by the National Commission. The CME programme allocates a specific number of credits for each medical specialist area and for all healthcare professions. |
| Publication date | 18 June 1999 |
| Link to full text | https://ape.agenas.it/ecm/normativa.aspx |
| Original name | D.Lgs. 299/1999: Norme per la razionalizzazione del Servizio sanitario nazionale |
| Name in English | Rules for the rationalisation of the National Health Service |
| Short description | The ratio of public and private health professionals based on to Legislative Decree no. 502/1992, as amended by D.Lgs. 299/1999, is basically regulated by the accreditation of the structures and private professionals who, once accredited, are authorised to provide services on behalf of the National Health Service (SSN) against tariffs set by the Regions within maximum amounts set at national level. The number of accredited entities is not unlimited, but related to the need for services that each region self-determines for its territory, also including the public providers.
The annual contracts signed by the providers, therefore prescribe the volumes of activities and the expenditure ceilings within which the providers must maintain production; otherwise tariff regression mechanisms come into play with a view to maintaining the total planned expenditure. |
| Publication date | 31 July 1999 |
| Link to full text | https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:1999;229 |
| Original name | Contratti Collettivi Nazionali della Sanità |
| Name in English | National Collective bargaining of health sector |
| Short description |
The national collective bargaining (abbreviated CCNL) is, in the Italian labour law, a type of employment contract concluded at national level between the organisations representing employees and their employers or by the respective social partners following collective bargaining and subsequent agreement. Collective bargaining guarantees decent working conditions, both in public and private sector. |
| Publication date | From 1995 to 2019 |
| Link to full text | Public sector:
Private sector: |
| Original name | Contratti Collettivi Nazionali della Sanità |
| Name in English | National Collective bargaining of health sector |
| Short description |
The national collective bargaining (abbreviated CCNL) is, in the Italian labour law, a type of employment contract concluded at national level between the organisations representing employees and their employers or by the respective social partners following collective bargaining and subsequent agreement. Collective bargaining establishes career frameworks for the public employees. |
| Publication date | From 1995 to 2019 |
| Link to full text | Public sector:
Private sector: |
List of sources specific to this country:
Last updated: 10 October 2020
The country fiches are produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in the country sheets are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study.
Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission’s/Executive Agency’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
This website was produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this website. Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission's / Executive Agency's behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.