General practice: Veneto doubles pay and Fnomceo calls for national legislation
The amount rises to over 12,000 euros for specialist training, bridging the gap with postgraduate trainees: a way to make the profession more attractive
Key points
The Veneto Region has allocated a total of 4.5 million euros for the three-year period 2026–2028 to supplement the scholarships awarded to doctors attending the specialist training course in general practice organised by the Region.
Making the profession attractive
“Every single scholarship,” notes the President of the Regional Council, Alberto Stefani, “is thus increased by 12,232 euros gross. This is double the amount from the previous financial year. This is a new incentive that forms part of a series of initiatives aimed at making the profession of general practitioner more attractive. We are focusing on young people and their training, because the current difficulties will be overcome primarily through their support. They are, and will remain, our key target group.” This measure goes hand in hand with the specific ‘Piano Casa’ scheme, Stefani points out, “which we launched to create the best possible conditions for young healthcare professionals to commit to the Veneto healthcare system. We are implementing a multi-pronged strategy that considers and addresses the issue in all its facets, whilst always collaborating with professional organisations and trade unions.”
It’s difficult to find GPs
According to the Councillor for Health, Gino Gerosa, who spearheaded the initiative, “despite the many efforts made since the start of the legislative term, it remains difficult to meet the local demand for general practitioners. Incentives are therefore essential to ensure equal financial recognition between postgraduate specialisation programmes and the general practice programme. This will consequently make the general practice programme a more attractive option for recent graduates.”
Fnomceo: calling for a national measure
“The decision by the Veneto Region and the Regional Councillor for Health, Gino Gerosa, to double the amount of training grants for doctors attending the specialist training course in General Practice is a highly forward-thinking move”, comments the president of the National Federation of Orders of Physicians, Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO), Filippo Anelli. “Precisely because we fully support this initiative,” emphasises Anelli, “we hope it will not be confined to a single region. Health Minister Schillaci, a doctor and former university rector, should heed the signal coming from Veneto and promote a national measure that brings the financial remuneration of general practice trainees into line with that of specialist trainees, thereby overcoming a long-standing disparity that has no justification for existing.”
According to Anelli, doctors’ training “cannot depend on the region in which they study: investing in general practice means investing in the future of the National Health Service, in the accessibility of care and in the sustainability of local healthcare provision”.
