In 2023, 7.6% of the Italian population gave up receiving medical care, an increase compared to 6.3% in 2019. This alarming data emerges from a survey conducted by Istat, highlighting a growing difficulty in accessing health services. Long waiting lists are confirmed among the main causes of giving up, involving 4.5% of Italians, an increase compared to 2.8% in 2019. Furthermore, 4.2% abandoned treatment for economic reasons, while 1% reported problems of inconvenience in the service. The president of Istat, Francesco Maria Chelli, highlighted these issues during his hearing on the economic maneuver, referring to the survey ‘Aspects of daily life’. The situation becomes even more complex considering the trend in healthcare spending. After a period of sustained growth between 2020 and 2022 - which saw an increase in public spending from 114.7 billion in 2019 to 130.8 billion in 2022 - 2023 marks a decline of 0.4%, falling to 130.2 billion.
Healthcare spending by families has exceeded 40.6 billion, with an increase of 1.7% compared to 2022. This trend is partly due to the recovery after the decline in 2020. Chelli highlights how the average variation in the period from 2019 to 2023 is equal to +3.2%, while that for families reaches +2.7%. Another critical aspect is the aging of the medical workforce and the growing demand for care. General practitioners are particularly worrying: many of them are approaching retirement and the number of patients per professional is increasing. In 2022, the overall supply of doctors in Italy was 4.2 per thousand inhabitants, with significant differences between the different areas of the country. The shortage of doctors is evident: there are only 6.7 general practitioners for every 10,000 inhabitants, and approximately 77% are at least 55 years old.
Chelli’s warning raises important questions about the future of Italian healthcare. With the increase in the elderly population and the growing demand for healthcare, it will be essential to rethink the structure and organization of healthcare services in the country. The adjustment of human and financial resources could be crucial to guarantee equal access to care and prevent further renunciations by citizens.
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