Italian 118 emergency service faces driver‑rescuer shortage amid summer surge

118 driver shortage Italy emergency service union alert Sicily recruitment contest operator safety

Union representatives in Lecce have warned that the regional emergency service 118 lacks 20‑30 driver‑rescuer positions, leaving stations understaffed during the summer peak. The union says existing staff are forced into up to twelve‑hour consecutive shifts, jeopardising both service quality and operator safety, and reports no response from regional authorities to the hiring request.

In Sicily, the regional assembly approved a rule that enables SEUS, the agency running the 118 system, to launch new recruitment contests for driver‑rescuer posts. The measure is intended to restore full functionality of ambulance stations, as highlighted by Giuseppe Laccoto, president of the health commission of the Sicilian Regional Assembly.

Entities: ASL Lecce · Gioele Pitzanti · Giuseppe Laccoto · Giuseppe Palazzo · Province of Lecce · SEUS · SEUS (Sicily emergency service) · Sanitaservice · Sicilian Regional Assembly · Unione Sindacale di Base (Usb) · Unione Sindacale di Base (Usb) of Lecce · Unione Sindacale di Base (Usb) – Lecce

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] Drivers are working up to twelve‑hour consecutive shifts, risking safety and service quality. (union report)
[● 2 SOURCES] Usb requested authorization to hire 20–30 new driver‑rescuers. (supports)
[● 2 SOURCES] There is a shortage of 118 ambulance driver‑rescuers in the province of Lecce. (supports)
[○ 1 SOURCE] In Cagliari, 118 operators were forced to stay in corridors with patients for whole nights due to overcrowding. (Operator testimony)
[● 2 SOURCES] The shortage and overcrowding worsen during the summer period with increased demand for 118 interventions. (Union reports)
[● 2 SOURCES] The hiring request was sent to the Puglia regional authorities, Asl Lecce and Sanitaservice. (Union letters)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Italian emergency rooms are experiencing chronic overcrowding and lack sufficient space for stretchers. (Operator testimony)
[● 2 SOURCES] No response had been received from the regional offices regarding the hiring request. (union claim)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Sicily's regional assembly approved a rule allowing SEUS to open recruitment contests for 118 driver‑rescuers. (supports)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Giuseppe Laccoto, President of the Health Commission of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, said the measure will restore full functionality of 118 stations. (statement)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Sicily's regional assembly approved a rule allowing SEUS to launch recruitment contests for 118 driver‑rescuer positions. (regional assembly decision)
[● 2 SOURCES] Union Usb of Lecce warned of a shortage of 20‑30 driver‑rescuer positions for the 118 service. (union alert)