Italy healthcare system faces regional inequality and nursing challenges

The Italian healthcare system is currently navigating significant structural challenges, ranging from regional disparities in care access to shifts in nursing professional roles. Data from 2024 indicates record levels of interregional healthcare mobility, highlighting a deep divide between the North and South. Regions such as Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto act as major hubs for active mobility, attracting patients from other regions due to specialized excellence and shorter waiting times. Conversely, southern regions like Calabria, Sicily, and Campania face high passive mobility, as residents travel elsewhere for necessary care, creating economic burdens and patient hardship.

Simultaneously, the nursing profession is undergoing a transformation. Research indicates that nurses spend approximately 20–30% of their time on non-nursing tasks—such as administrative duties, material procurement, and patient transport—which can lead to burnout and reduced quality of care. There is an increasing focus on strengthening territorial nursing to move care from hospitals into community settings, as outlined in Decree DM 77/2022. This shift aims to provide continuous care within patients' daily lives through specialized roles like care managers.