A report by the National Association of Nursing Professionals, a union also known as Nursing Up, warned that healthcare needs in this European country are growing exponentially, but the national health system has increasingly fewer staff to address the problem.

The analysis, published on the organization’s official website, indicates that the problem is likely to worsen, as the number of patients with chronic illnesses could exceed 30 million in the next ten years due to demographic aging and increased survival rates for diseases that were once rapidly fatal.

The shortage of nursing staff in Italy directly affects the quality of care, patient safety, and the sustainability of services, experts say.

Antonio De Palma, president of Nursing Up, noted that “the population is inexorably aging, chronic diseases are increasing, and the demand for care is skyrocketing, but the number of nurses is not growing, and this imbalance is one of the main threats to the right to healthcare today.”

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