Fnomceo: 6 out of 10 patients are waiting for or postponing treatment; the system needs to be overhauled

For nearly 7 out of 10 Italians, waiting times in the Italian healthcare system are too long, and in the South and on the islands the situation is even worse, with the proportion of positive opinions falling to 24 per cent. But the most significant impact concerns citizens’ actual behaviour: nearly 6 in 10 Italians say they have postponed or foregone treatment or check-ups because of waiting times; in the South and on the islands, this figure rises to two in three. Faced with long waiting times, 54 per cent of citizens predominantly choose to pay for private treatment, either at a facility affiliated with the National Health Service or one that is not: only 21 per cent wait within the National Health Service (SSN), 9 per cent pay for a service provided by a doctor in private practice, 7 per cent forgo the service altogether, 6 per cent use A&E, and 3 per cent travel to another region. These are the findings of a new survey by the Piepoli Institute, conducted on a sample of 1,000 Italian citizens of legal age in June 2026, commissioned by the Fnomceo (the National Federation of Orders of Physicians, Surgeons and Dentists) and presented today in Rome.

“The most worrying figure,” comments Filippo Anelli, president of FNOMCeO, “is not so much that people are increasingly turning to the private sector. The problem is that, for many citizens, the National Health Service is no longer the first port of call when a healthcare need arises. Those who can afford it turn directly to the private sector. Those who cannot either wait or go without. This is not merely an organisational problem: it is a problem of shattered trust, of betrayed expectations, of denied rights.”

According to the survey, the average waiting time for a healthcare service reported by Italian citizens stands at 2.3 months. 41 per cent said they had received treatment at a private, fee-paying facility; 32 per cent through the National Health Service (NHS) within the expected timeframe; and 27 per cent through the NHS but after very long waiting times. Only 9% made use of ‘intramoenia’ – the private practice carried out by hospital doctors outside their working hours, using the hospital’s facilities and equipment.

“The National Health Service,” continues Anelli, “was established to ensure the right to healthcare is upheld, not merely to be one option amongst many. The real cause for concern is not merely the delay in receiving care – with all its knock-on effects, such as people foregoing treatment, leading to a worsening of their conditions, the misuse of A&E departments, and the need for patients to seek care elsewhere. The crux of the matter is this gradual loss of confidence in the Republic’s ability to look after its people.”

The survey also shows that, according to Italians, the main cause of waiting lists is the shortage of specialist doctors and healthcare staff, cited as a cause by 42 per cent of respondents and as the main cause by 23 per cent. This is followed by inefficient organisation, at 26 per cent, the failure to adapt resources to meet increasing healthcare needs, and a lack of financial resources, both at 23 per cent. Only 6 per cent cited private practice within the NHS as a cause.