Waiting lists, national platform moves forward: €27.4 million allocated for the single monitoring system

A digital infrastructure to shorten access times
With a decree adopted on 9 December 2025 and published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 21 January 2026, Italy takes a concrete step toward making the National Waiting Lists Platform fully operational. The measure authorizes total funding of €27,407,501, aimed at building the IT infrastructure that will ensure interoperability among regional systems and enable uniform nationwide monitoring of waiting times. The platform is one of the key tools under the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza to improve access to healthcare services.

The regulatory and institutional framework
The decree implements the provisions introduced by Decree-Law No. 73 of 7 June 2024, converted into Law No. 107/2024, which formally established the platform within Agenas. It also reflects the agreement reached at the State–Regions Conference on 27 November 2025 and fits into the broader strategy promoted by the Ministero della Salute to strengthen national governance over waiting lists.

Funding structure and regional contribution
Article 1 of the decree authorizes state funding covering 95% of the estimated total cost, while the remaining 5% is to be borne by the Regions. The resources come from the reserve for urgent interventions provided for by CIPE Resolution No. 51/2019, within the healthcare investment program under Article 20 of Law No. 67/1988. Allocation follows a dual mechanism: a fixed amount of €850,000 per Region and a variable share calculated on the basis of resident population as of 1 January 2023.

Regions receiving the largest allocations
The table attached to the decree details total amounts and co-financing shares. Among the Regions receiving the highest funding are Lombardy (just over €3 million), Lazio and Campania (around €2.1 million each), followed by Venetoand Emilia-Romagna. The distribution reflects demographic weight and aims to ensure a homogeneous technological baseline nationwide.

Implementation timeline and procedures
Article 2 sets out operational steps. Within 30 days of Agenas approving the project guidelines, each Region must submit its implementation plan to the Ministry, outlining overall needs, priority interventions and a detailed timeline. The plan must include a technical report specifying location, type of intervention, financial framework and post-installation maintenance strategy. Following approval by the competent Directorate-General, Regions may use the funds in accordance with the procedures established by the State–Regions Agreement of 28 February 2008.

What changes for citizens and territorial services
The platform is designed to provide a single national overview of waiting lists, overcoming fragmented data and regional disparities. Its goal is to increase transparency on service availability, improve planning and allow timely corrective action. Over time, the system is expected to impact the organization of specialist visits, enabling more efficient scheduling and fairer access to diagnostic and follow-up services.

Targeted specialist visits and prevention
Accurate monitoring of waiting times is particularly important for follow-up specialist consultations, which are often crucial for secondary prevention and chronic disease management. Reliable, comparable data can support more appropriate care pathways, reduce diagnostic delays and strengthen preventive strategies, especially for populations at higher risk.

A national governance challenge
The launch of the National Waiting Lists Platform marks a key step in reinforcing national governance of access to care. The decree opens an operational phase that will require strong institutional coordination and technical capacity. The real impact of the investment will depend on the quality of implementation and on the ability to translate digital infrastructure into tangible reductions in waiting times.