Waiting lists controlled and distorted to favor friends, acquaintances and one's own private patients . In several cases (195 to be precise) the booking agendas had even been suspended or interrupted even with unauthorized procedures.

This is what emerges from the NAS checks on the management of 3,884 waiting lists and booking diaries for outpatient services for specialist visits and diagnostic tests relating to the national health service.

Twenty-six doctors and nurses were reported, among these 9 were those who controlled the waiting lists: they work in Milan, Turin, Perugia and Catania and are held responsible for the crimes of ideological and material falsehood, aggravated fraud, embezzlement and interruption of the public service.

The NAS were also able to see all the difficulty of the healthcare system in managing the waiting lists : many booking diaries closed or suspended due to a lack of doctors and operators, which also happened in a clinic of the ASL of Cagliaritano , where for the outpatient activities of some branches did not respect the health management's schedule. Several specialist visits were suspended, not respecting the priorities assigned by the doctor in the prescription .

Problems linked to staff shortages but also to behavior not in line with professional ethics: in an ASL in the province of Rome gastroenterology and colonoscopy services were unavailable, but the managing doctor in charge of those clinics carried out the same tests at a private clinic .

Still. In Reggio Calabria three doctors were reported for embezzlement: contracted under an exclusive regime with public companies, they worked in a private clinic. In Perugia a radiologist carried out private work while he was ill .

(Unioneonline/L)

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