Italy health sector faces strikes, staffing crises and nurse assaults

In Molise, negotiations between regional health authorities and unions failed, prompting the ASReM health workers to plan a general strike over severe staffing shortages and unsafe working conditions.

In Venice, ULSS 3 officials discussed the progress of thirteen community‑care houses funded by the PNRR, ongoing hiring plans, and proposals to allocate over €3.4 million of residual funds for staff incentives, while unions raised concerns about reductions in compensation for frontline workers.

In Basilicata, unions warned that assistance for non‑self‑sufficient elderly and severely disabled citizens is collapsing under bureaucratic delays, insufficient funding and rising out‑of‑pocket costs for families.

Separate incidents of violence against health staff were reported: a 47‑year‑old man attacked a nurse at the emergency department of Castellaneta’s San Pio hospital, causing injuries that are expected to heal in five days; and an employee at the Maggiore hospital was punched in the face while assisting a patient, also sustaining injuries with a similar recovery time. Both facilities condemned the assaults as unacceptable and called for stronger protection measures for medical personnel.