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Waiting lists for bookings of visits and diagnostic tests, faster specialist outpatient services and low-intensity surgeries, better paid contracts and overtime hours for both doctors and nurses. As? Through the thirty million euros that the Emilia-Romagna Region invests in public health (plan for shorten times). Of these, over 7 million were allocated to the city of Bologna: Major Hospital (ASL), Sant’Orsola Polyclinic And Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute (IOR).
Some steps forward, as explained by the health director of the Bologna local health authority Andrea Longanesi, have already been done and the numbers confirm it (already from April/May) given the increases in specialist visits compared to last year. Other measures are expected by the end of the year and among the short-term actions there are the increase in the offer also through the involvement of accredited private individuals, open agendas and new lists for the registration of outstanding requests, with disposal in order of time. And the numbers seem to confirm an ongoing change.
The most requested services and the “slowest” ones: what has changed in two months
The table below shows the type of visit, the number of appointments requested and waiting times as a percentage, with colors from yellow to red indicating the most critical issues. In particular (here’s how to read the table): for waiting times, the percentages indicate how many patients obtained the service within the due time based on the prescription. That is: in 2024 83% had the performance within the times of the priority indicated in the recipe. The priorities that the doctor indicates in the prescription are: Urgent to be dispensed within 48 hours; B short to be provided within 10 days D deferrable to be provided within 30 days for visits and 60 days for diagnostics; P scheduled to be paid within 120 days. The two columns compare the first months of the year (January-February-March) and the more recent times (April-May).
Bologna Local Health Authority Company Table:
(The TDA Ausl + PA waiting times are in the table)
Imola Local Health Authority Company Table:
We tried to book medical tests: impossible
What are the services, visits and exams that give you the most difficulty due to the quantity of requests?
“They are mainly in the areas of ophthalmology, orthopaedics, cardiology, gynecology, ENT… in short, they are those where there are normally more chronic pathologies, where patients have the greatest need for specialized services. However, we are already comparing the month of April with this “With the month of April last year we made an increase of 11%, so we are already close to that 15% which is our forecast to reach and achieve within this year”.
Things therefore seem to be improving, but the issue of the escape of white coats abroad remains. It is a phenomenon that has been talked about for some time, will our country be able to be competitive (in terms of salaries and shifts)?
“I confirm: the problem exists. And the numbers we read in Italian pay slips (in the healthcare sector, but also in all the others) are generally among the lowest. Through this regional fund, however, we are already making some small steps forward doing and for example we have put 2 and a half million into fixed-term contracts, over 3 million for the extra hours to be carried out by the staff (who will be paid more) and then there will be the push from the accredited private sector”.
Three main actions on the pitch
“The scenario of the waiting lists sees this important initiative of the Region which has allocated financing for 30 million of which 7 million 500 thousand intended for our company – explains Longanesi – With these funds we have implemented three actions. One aimed at our employees with a plan hiring which will bring new doctors, nurses and technicians; a competition with the accredited private individual which contributes to the reduction of waiting lists and finally a rorganization of taking charge of patients. Through these operations we increase production and expect a 15% increase in both visits and diagnostics. Activities that we do in synergy with Sant’Orsola and Rizzoli”.
(Total production 2024 AUSL (public + PA), AOSP, IOR)
Agenda and patient care: working on the “25th month”
We asked the health director of ASL Bologna what will change in the management of diaries and in the CUPs: “Patients will normally turn to the CUP as they have always done and will find, unlike before, diaries that are always open (24 months) which slide and therefore every month the ‘twenty-fifth month’ opens. If the times foreseen by the prescription (ordinary or urgent) are not respected, which must instead correspond (30 days for the ordinary visit and 60 for the diagnostic) then you are taken care of and included in a pre-list with a proposed calendar which is instead within the timescales”.
(Economic investment – Bologna AUSL (Public and PA), AOSP, IOR)
