Rome Medical Association warns of long emergency room waits in Lazio

The Rome Provincial Order of Physicians, Surgeons and Dentists has expressed serious concern regarding patient care timelines outlined in the Lazio Region’s new ‘Regional Plan for the Management of Hospital Admission Flow’.

Antonio Magi, president of the Omceo Roma, noted that while the plan correctly identifies that overcrowding affects the entire hospital system and its relationship with local territories, the proposed timeframes are troubling. The document anticipates average stays of up to 480 minutes from initial visit to discharge or admission decision, and up to 720 minutes for intensive care and psychiatry admissions. Furthermore, patient handover to specific operating units is only scheduled to occur after 12 hours have passed since initial access.

Magi emphasized that these delays impact the safety, dignity, and clinical outcomes of patients, particularly the elderly and those with chronic conditions. He called for an urgent strengthening of local specialist medicine to reduce inappropriate emergency room visits. Data from the plan indicates that in 2025, Lazio’s emergency departments recorded over 1.8 million accesses, with approximately 260,000 resulting in hospitalizations.