Health, Forum SSN post Covid: “Serious gaps in the hospital reform draft”

“We appreciate the clarification of the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, who, at the Question time in the Chamber, defined the revision text of Ministerial Decree 70 on hospital standards, which never arrived on his table, as a ‘non-existent fraud’, reiterating what was already highlighted in the meeting, a few days ago, between the minister and the representatives of the scientific societies gathered in the ‘Permanent Forum on the National Health System in the post Covid’ “, says Francesco Cognetti, coordinator of the scientific societies of the ‘Forum’. “We have drawn up a programmatic document, with concrete proposals for the redefinition of health care in our country – he remembers – that we illustrated to the minister. We applaud his declarations that finally put a brake on de-hospitalization policies that reduce the essential characteristics of hospitals, to to which we must give more, certainly not less. The policy of progressive weakening of hospitals must be abandoned “, he warns.” The shortcomings of the hospital sector, as explained in our programmatic document, are among the main causes that have provoked and induced extremely harmful effects during the pandemic – underline the scientific societies of the ‘Forum’ -. The draft reform of Ministerial Decree 70, now outdated, risked causing very serious damage to Italian public health and potential damage for millions of patients. There was no mention of the qualitative standards, of the development of clinical aspects and of the increasing complexity of diagnostic and therapeutic processes, of the organizational, clinical and scientific problems associated with hospital activities, but only aspects concerning some quantitative parameters of hospital care were mentioned. . Compared to pre-Covid, a decrease in the number of ordinary hospital beds had even been foreseen throughout the territory. “” The reform of hospitals is important and urgent, also in light of the alarming data available to us on the serious suffering of hospitals that has already produced many deaths from Covid in our country, which records the second mortality in Europe on the infected – the scientific societies underline -. The shortages of hospitals during the pandemic are also the main cause of very high excess mortality for other diseases, mainly time-dependent so far, already recorded compared to the average of the previous 5 years. Moreover, as the minister acknowledged, the main causes must be identified in the weakening of hospital structures and services, achieved in recent decades, a situation that must be immediately addressed, if only in terms of planning, also because their practical application will not be neither easy nor rapid “. But” it is necessary to speed up times “, warn the scientific societies of the ‘Forum’.” We will soon find ourselves confronted with an increase in excess deaths from various chronic diseases, in addition to time-dependent which, above all, the oncological ones. Moreover, even in these days, the hospitals of various Regions, although subjected to a much lower stress test than those recorded during the first, second and third wave, are already suffering. “” We believe – they conclude – that a new phase, recalculate the reference parameters, think of a modern hospital adequate to the complexities that will have to be managed and the sick who will have to be treated. Another problem of Ministerial Decree 70 is that relating to the territory / hospital relationship: the hospital is as important as the territory and the two entities must work in a relationship of strong synergy and collaboration. The great complexities of the hospital cannot be managed in a single way – they argue – but in a participatory form with a defined and relevant role for the clinical professionals who work there. We are sure that our proposals will find acceptance in the reform of Ministerial Decree 70 which we hope will soon be implemented. We thank Minister Speranza for the fruitful discussion with the scientific societies of the ‘Forum’, which we intend to pursue in the primary interest of the millions of sick people in our country, assisted by us ”.