Weeks passed, characterized by discussions and controversies, but in the end an agreement was reached. The trade unions have signed an agreement with Sisac (Interregional Healthcare Structure) to bring family doctors into community homes.
Let’s talk about the new territorial health structures envisaged by the Pnrr. On the table is a uniform hourly wage from North to South. The objective is ambitious and with a precise deadline. The aim is to make the 1,038 new structures operational by 30 June 2026. This is the deadline set by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. A match that intertwines the organization of public health with the stringent deadlines of European funds.
How much will doctors earn?
The key issue is remuneration. Family doctors will be paid a salary of 38.72 euros net per hour, which translates into 40 euros gross. A figure that will not change from region to region, designed to avoid disparities between territories and guarantee homogeneous conditions.
Indeed, national standardization is among the most relevant aspects of the agreement. In the absence of a single parameter, in fact, the risk was that of patchy compensation, with generous companies and others penalised.
How the hourly commitment works
The activity in the community houses adds to the already existing obligations for doctors, including night and holiday guards. The new rules include:
- a commitment of up to 6 hours per week, of a mandatory nature;
- a duration of 48 weeks a year;
- service hours between 8am and 8pm;
- a minimum shift of 3 continuous hours.
Furthermore, each structure will be able to define its own staffing needs, with the presence of at least one family doctor for each community home.
Utilities for citizens
As was easy to predict, the agreement did not really bring everyone to agreement. The unions Fimmg and Fmt signed the agreement with Sisac, while Smi and Snami chose not to sign. This means that the issue of working conditions will remain partly open.
However, this is a very delicate topic, which directly concerns patients. In fact, community houses were created with the aim of decentralizing assistance. This means, in practice, easing the pressure on emergency rooms (today often clogged also due to problems that could be managed locally).
Having family doctors permanently present in these structures means offering an intermediate point of reference between your doctor’s office and the hospital. If the model works, the benefits could translate into shorter waiting times and care closer to citizens.
