Doctors, 75 per cent of healthcare companies 'outlaw': from overwork to safety regulations
From the white coats working in hospitals index finger pointed at the failure to respect time and overtime, but also holidays and career progressions, and the Minister of Health sounded the alarm on the risks of burnout and abandonment of the National Health Service
A white paper that uncovers a Pandora's box full of multiple non-compliances with respect to the doctors' collective agreement: this is the one prepared by the leading hospital doctors' union Anaao Assomed, which has scrutinised the adherence of healthcare companies and then 'handed over' the document to Health Minister Orazio Schillaci, who is engaged in the difficult task of keeping the National Health Service sustainable but also attractive.
Bitter Balance
An arduous objective, even looking at the balance that the Anaao makes of the contract: in 2025, the union has warned 75% of the health companies, 'guilty' of not having applied the Ccnl for doctors and health executives. The union action concerned 174 companies out of 231, the majority in northern Italy (55.75%), followed by the south (32.75%) and lastly the centre (11.50%). As for the remaining 25 per cent, although in 57 companies no warnings were triggered, 'this is only due to the time factor with respect to detection'. Data in hand show that only in a few cases did the companies comply with the contractual obligations.
The violations
Among the most frequent violations reported by Anaao Assomed are the failure to respect working hours, the exceeding of the 10 monthly 'ready availability', on-call and on-call duties on sites other than the one of assignment, the use of holidays, the delay in the start of decentralised bargaining, the failure to assign tasks, and the difficult career progression. Poor attention is also paid to health and safety at work: 58% of companies have not adopted the necessary measures or if they have, they are not adequate, warn the Anaao.
Filling the gaps
"Our intervention is not an act of accusation, but of responsibility towards the country, towards healthcare and professionals to demand respect for the most basic rights. We ask and trust in the collaboration of the directorates to achieve the common goal of reducing contractual gaps as much as possible,' explained Anaao Assomed Secretary Pierino Di Silverio presenting the White Paper in Rome at the Chamber of Deputies.
Schillaci: reversing course
Distensive words that also mark an outstretched hand towards the ministry's action, which Schillaci fully grasped by admitting the seriousness of the results: the Anaao Assomed survey 'unfortunately shows us a very widespread propensity of healthcare companies not to apply the employment contracts of doctors and healthcare executives. I think I can say that this is a picture that no one would put on display. I express my appreciation for the purpose of this mapping, which is not to point fingers, but to bring transparency in order to change and improve the working conditions in our hospitals.
