To reduce waiting times, the ASL city of Turin is experimenting with the start of evening medical examinations on weekdays and Sundays
THE’ASL City of Turin He kicked off one experimentation to reduce waiting listsintroducing evening medical examinations on weekdays and appointments on Sunday morning. The project, which will last six monthsaims to offer citizens a faster access to health services without the need to request work permits.
The first hospital to inaugurate the initiative was the Martiniwith Sunday visits from 10 at 13 In different specialties, including cardiology, orthopedics, neurology and urology. From Monday 17 February, however, the clinics of other Turin hospitals – as the San Giovanni Bosco, the Maria Vittoria and the ophthalmic– they will also operate in the evening, from 18 at 21thus guaranteeing an expansion of the health offer.
The service is available for residents and domiciled in the ASL area, and reservations take place through the Cup. A total of sixty professionalsbetween doctors and nurses, he joined the project, receiving an additional compensation for extraordinary working hours. The goal of the Piedmont Region is to extend the service to the whole regional territory by the end of the month.
The Medici union is against
The initiative received the applause of the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaciwhich called it a model to follow to improve access to care. However, the project did not completely convince the Medici unionswhich consider the expansion of the time without an increase in staff. According to them, without new hiring and an improvement in working conditions, the risk is that it is only one temporary and not very resolutive measurement.
More favorable, however, the nurseswhich welcome any initiative aimed at enhancing public health, underlining that the services are on a voluntary and paid basis. According to them it is preferable that professionals operate inside the public health system rather than contact the private individual.
Citizens who have already used the service have said they are satisfied. For many, being able to access specialist visits without having to lose hours of work represents a great advantage, especially for the freelancerswhich otherwise would undergo one double economic loss between missed earnings and health costs.
It remains to be seen if this experimentation will be able to reduce Significantly waiting times. The health director of the Martini hospital, Andrea Campobasso, expressed optimism, stating that the initial response was positive and that this could be one of the strategies useful to improve the Piedmontese health system.
