The 2007 Budget Law “does not take away, but gives. And together with the Health Pact it saves the public health service and lays it more solid foundations, not only financial, but also of loyal and strong institutional collaboration ". This was underlined by the Minister of Health, Livia Turco, illustrating to the ministry the health measures envisaged in the Budget Law and the main innovations of the new Health Pact with the Regions. "The defense of the NHS and the health of citizens - he says - prevailed over any political skirmish". Finance and health pact represent “a real turning point, after years of underestimation of the health fund and the absence of long-term investment policies for the NHS. We found ourselves – explains the Minister – in a narrow and even dramatic passage, measuring ourselves against the legacy of a NHS that has experienced years of neglect in its government, an underestimation of resources and institutional conflict”. A passage which, continues the Minister, “could have resulted in the reduction of the NHS. Instead, with this budget there are more resources: 101.3 billion for the regions in greater financial difficulty".
What changes for NHS and citizens
“The overall resources for the National Health Service have been increased – said Livia Turco – who on Sunday in a press conference at the ministry illustrated the “health chapter” of the maneuver launched the day before yesterday by the Council of Ministers. In particular, one quarter of the healthcare maneuver is based on co-payments (700-750 million euros) and three quarters on the reduction of spending, half of which will be guaranteed by more efficient management of local health authorities and hospitals and the other half by interventions to reduce the prices of drugs, medical devices and the rates of analysis laboratories. These, in detail, are the innovations illustrated by Turco.
Resources and investments
The National Health Fund for 2007 is equal to 96 billion euros, to which is added a billion euros for the Regions in greater financial difficulty. Three billion more will be invested for the modernization of hospitals and the opening of new health services, with particular attention to radiodiagnostic and radiotherapy equipment, especially in the South; residential facilities for the terminally ill; dental care facilities; new spinal units in areas of the country that do not have them; increase in oncological screenings (20 million euros per year for the three-year period 2007-09); women's health initiatives; improvement of information and quality control systems.
What changes for NHS and citizens
“The overall resources for the National Health Service have been increased – said Livia Turco – who on Sunday in a press conference at the ministry illustrated the “health chapter” of the maneuver launched the day before yesterday by the Council of Ministers. In particular, one quarter of the healthcare maneuver is based on co-payments (700-750 million euros) and three quarters on the reduction of spending, half of which will be guaranteed by more efficient management of local health authorities and hospitals and the other half by interventions to reduce the prices of drugs, medical devices and the rates of analysis laboratories. These, in detail, are the innovations illustrated by Turco.
Resources and investments
The National Health Fund for 2007 is equal to 96 billion euros, to which is added a billion euros for the Regions in greater financial difficulty. Three billion more will be invested for the modernization of hospitals and the opening of new health services, with particular attention to radiodiagnostic and radiotherapy equipment, especially in the South; residential facilities for the terminally ill; dental care facilities; new spinal units in areas of the country that do not have them; increase in oncological screenings (20 million euros per year for the three-year period 2007-09); women's health initiatives; improvement of information and quality control systems.
Funds for research NHS
They rise to 349.5 million euros, 80 million more than in 2006
They rise to 349.5 million euros, 80 million more than in 2006
Containment of public spending
The NHS will save 3 billion euros, with interventions to improve the efficiency of local health authorities and hospitals and to rationalize spending. Among the latter, reduction in the prices of class A drugs and medical devices such as test tubes, syringes or heart valves thanks to public purchase auctions with controlled prices for equal quality, reduction of 50% in the rates of analysis laboratories from February.
The NHS will save 3 billion euros, with interventions to improve the efficiency of local health authorities and hospitals and to rationalize spending. Among the latter, reduction in the prices of class A drugs and medical devices such as test tubes, syringes or heart valves thanks to public purchase auctions with controlled prices for equal quality, reduction of 50% in the rates of analysis laboratories from February.
Services to citizens
Dental services paid for by the NHS will be increased, by strengthening public laboratories, and screening programs for breast, uterine and colorectal cancer. And again, diffusion of techniques for painless birth, completion of the network of spinal units, more prevention of accidents in the workplace; development of hospices and the use of pain therapies; increase of the radiodiagnostic network
Dental services paid for by the NHS will be increased, by strengthening public laboratories, and screening programs for breast, uterine and colorectal cancer. And again, diffusion of techniques for painless birth, completion of the network of spinal units, more prevention of accidents in the workplace; development of hospices and the use of pain therapies; increase of the radiodiagnostic network
