by InTrieste
The regional government of Friuli Venezia Giulia is increasing investment in its public health care workforce, aiming to make the sector more competitive and better equipped to serve patients, officials said on Thursday.
Speaking in Trieste, Governor Massimiliano Fedriga outlined a strategy focused on directing resources toward areas of greatest need rather than distributing funds evenly. The approach, he said, is intended to strengthen efficiency, improve safety and enhance the overall quality of care.
The increased spending has been made possible by strong regional finances and higher tax revenues tied to economic growth, according to the administration.
“Health care is a strategic priority,” Fedriga said, adding that recent investments reflect a broader effort to present what he described as “the reality of the numbers” amid ongoing public debate over the sector.
At the same event, the regional health councillor, Riccardo Riccardi, detailed measures aimed at expanding staffing and improving compensation. Changes to national spending caps on hiring, combined with a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling granting greater regional autonomy, have allowed Friuli Venezia Giulia to allocate nearly €240 million more for personnel than in 2019, he said.
Total spending on health care staff has now exceeded €1.2 billion.
A workforce initiative introduced last year, initially valued at €37 million, is expected to grow to nearly €75 million by 2026, following the renewal of the national collective labor contract. Regional officials said staffing levels have increased rather than declined: between 2021 and 2025, the system added 562 employees, bringing the total workforce to more than 20,800.
The plan also introduces performance-based incentives tied to job type, responsibility and work in critical care areas, measures that officials say have been broadly supported by unions. For the first time, these incentives will extend to categories including health care assistants, laboratory and radiology technicians, and midwives.
Additional funding will double certain welfare benefits and increase allowances for night and holiday shifts. A further €10 million has been earmarked for administrative staff, whose salaries currently lag behind those in other areas of the public sector.
Regional leaders say the measures are designed not only to retain existing staff but also to attract new professionals to a system under pressure across Italy.
