No improvement in healthcare waiting lists. Too long waits, hospital facilities too far away, difficulties with Cups and, too often, blocked booking agendas says Altroconsumo which interviewed over 1,100 citizens: 950 had difficulty booking a visit or exam over the last year with the National Health Service. Many are forced to turn to private individuals with high costs or to give up treatment. These are numbers that follow Istat’s certification according to which waiting lists are the main reason why 3 million Italians give up on treatment.
For two thirds of those interviewed, the waits are too long, often beyond the emergencies indicated on the prescription, but for many, the hospital facilities are too far away. Another problem is appointments that are not available, due to booking diaries closed, a practice that would be prohibited by law. Added to this are Cups that are difficult to contact, prescriptions that expire, checks that are skipped.
Which visits
Most of the problems are linked to specialist visits: the most cited are those ophthalmology (about 180 reports) e dermatological (about 100, mostly related to mole control). Among the most reported tests are especially ultrasounds of the abdomen, thyroid, breast and shoulder (around 150), magnetic resonance imaging, CT scans (around 100) and gastroscopy (around 25).
Eye and dermatological examinations, gastroscopies and abdominal ultrasounds have always been the services that citizens pay for most out of their own pockets, booking privately. Agenas data says so, National Agency for Regional Health Serviceson the private activity of public hospitals.
The distance
A quarter of those interviewed complain about the problem of distance: to have the appointment within the time prescribed by the doctor, they would have had to go to an inconvenient facility, sometimes even 100 km or more away from home. In their province the first place would only be available after many months. These are the territorial areas of guarantee for which the territories for booking services can be vast. It contradicts the principle of proximity and reachability of the national waiting list governance plan.
Of the 1,100 respondents, about 300 said they had been placed on a waiting list for hospitalization in the past two years. Just over half of the citizens were hospitalized on schedule; around 100 people however were not so lucky and around 50 are still waiting to know when they will be called. Among the reasons for the delays encountered: the lack of doctors, beds, the absence of the agenda for the next few months. However, in all the testimonies the impotence of waiting without information shines through.
Private
Half of the interviewees who reported problems ultimately decided to turn to private individuals. However, not everyone can afford them. The number of families whose budgets are strained by healthcare-related expenditure increased from 43% in 2022 to 47% in 2023.
