To stem the flight of doctors and nurses from the public health system, the Government has put new resources and economic incentives on the table. In the 2026 budget law, 450 million euros are foreseen to hire over 1,000 doctors and 6,300 nurses. There are also news on allowances and salaries for those already working in the sector.
The Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, speaks of “a clear signal” of the commitment to investing in healthcare professionals. According to the minister it is not just a question of money. The health crisis must also be sought among other causes and the main reasons for the escape, he explains, would be bureaucracy, contractual rigidity and unsustainable workload.
The hiring plan and salary increase
In detail, the 2026 budget provides for 450 million euros for new hires in order to strengthen the workforce. 1,000 new doctors and 6,300 nurses are expected. Added to the hiring are the economic interventions already started in 2025, such as the increase in emergency room allowances (50 million from 2025 and another 50 from 2026) and the 120 million annual fund to improve the economic treatment of trainees.
From the next academic year (2025-2026), the fixed part of the salary of doctors in training will increase by 5%, while the variable part will increase by 50% for the less attractive specializations. In parallel, the new budget law introduces a further increase in specific allowances (280 million euros more) which will further benefit the category of nurses.
According to the Court of Auditors, which analyzed the figures during the parliamentary hearings, when fully operational the increases in allowances will be 412 million for doctors and veterinarians and 480 million for nurses. Translated into the pay slip, we talk about:
- +3,052 euros gross per year for doctors;
- +1,600 euros gross for nurses.
Furthermore, a 5% flat tax on overtime has also been introduced for nurses, to incentivize those who remain in the public sector.
More incentives to stay in the national health system
In addition to increases, the Schillaci plan aims to improve working conditions and training. For example, in the draft law on health professions, the creation of a School of Specialization in General Medicine which will replace the current regional courses is envisaged
Another strong point of the plan, in this case for those who already work in hospitals, is legal protection. In fact, new protections are provided for doctors and healthcare workers who can be criminally prosecuted only in the event of serious negligence, if they have followed the guidelines and good clinical-care practices.
Finally, to combat the phenomenon of lane assaults, the measure of deferred flagrant arrest has been introduced in Maneuver, which will allow intervention even after the episode thanks to video surveillance images.
Minister Schillaci, interviewed by Rainews24explained that the problem is not just economic:
Every time I meet Italian doctors or researchers abroad, I discover that the first reason for the escape is bureaucracy. They want more flexible contracts and fewer constraints
For this reason, Schillaci proposes to bring health workers’ contracts back under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, so as to simplify them and make them more compliant with the needs of the professions.
The objective is to retain those already working in the NHS and make the entry of young people into a system that today struggles to compete with the conditions offered abroad, not only economic but in terms of quality of life and work, more attractive.
