Italy’s government has issued a warning regarding a shortage of healthcare professionals in the national health service, describing it as a “real emergency.” In an effort to address this crisis, some hospitals are offering contracts to foreign medical staff to fill the gaps. However, experts in the healthcare industry suggest that this will only provide short-term relief, as the sector faces underlying issues beyond staffing concerns. Many European countries with publicly funded health systems have experienced strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a comparison of various health metrics in Europe:
HEALTH SPENDING:
Italy spent 9% of its GDP on healthcare in 2022, including both the private and public sectors. In comparison, Spain spent 10.5%, Britain spent 11.3%, France spent 11.9%, and Germany spent 12.7% of their respective GDPs. On a per capita basis, Italy spent $4,291, Spain spent $4,462, Britain spent $5,493, France spent $6,517, and Germany spent $8,011, according to the OECD.
BEDS:
A common measure of health services is the number of hospital beds available to patients. However, a low number of beds does not necessarily indicate a crisis but could reflect efficiency in the system. Italy had 3.12 beds per 1,000 population, while France had 5.65 beds and Germany had 7.76 beds. Spain had 2.96 beds, and Britain had 2.42 beds, as per OECD data.
DOCTOR AND NURSES NUMBERS:
Italy had 4.2 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants in 2021, compared to 3.4 in France, 3.2 in Britain, and 4.5 in both Spain and Germany, according to the OECD. However, Italian healthcare unions report that many doctors have left the public sector, resulting in shortages in critical departments. Italy also has the highest proportion of aging medical professionals in the EU, with 55.2% aged 55 years or older and roughly 25% aged over 65.
Regarding nurses, Italy had 6.4 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants in 2021, while France had 9.7 and Germany had 12.0. Spain had a slightly lower ratio of 6.3, and Britain had 8.7 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the OECD.
ATTRACTING FOREIGN WORKERS:
Only 0.94% of doctors in Italy were foreign-trained in 2019, compared to 12.3% in France, 13.8% in Germany, and 31.9% in Britain. Meanwhile, foreign-trained nurses accounted for 4.8% of the total in Italy, 2.9% in France, 8.9% in Germany, and 15.4% in Britain.
DOCTOR AND NURSES SALARIES:
In 2020, specialist doctors in Italy earned 2.9 times the country’s average income. In Germany, the ratio was 3.4, in Britain it was 3.3, and in Spain it was 3.0. By contrast, nurses in Italy earned the equivalent of the average wage, as did their British counterparts. Spanish nurses earned 1.5 times the average wage, German nurses earned 1.1 times, and French nurses earned 0.9 times.
Unions report that Italian doctors in hospitals have an average net take-home pay of 2,800 euros ($2,935) per month, while public sector nurses earn an average between 1,600-1,700 euros.
Overall, Italy’s healthcare system is facing significant challenges, including shortages of doctors and nurses, an aging workforce, and relatively lower health spending compared to other European countries.
