First green light from the Chamber for healthcare professions reform and criminal shield.

The Chamber of Deputies approved in the first reading, with 143 votes in favor, 113 against, and 3 abstentions, the delegation to the government regarding healthcare professions. The measure now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The bill, linked to the public finance maneuver, introduces a framework for delegating the revision of healthcare professions and modifies the special regime of criminal liability for negligent homicide and personal injury in the exercise of the profession. It also includes a provision, introduced in committee on a proposal from Brothers of Italy, which allows—under certain conditions—the possibility of reinstatement for doctors struck off the medical register during the Covid pandemic, a topic that dominated the debate.

The final vote occurred with a wider margin than the approval of the specific article on reinstatement, which passed yesterday by only 13 votes, also thanks to the votes of Future Nation. The opposition harshly criticized this provision, calling it a legitimization of anti-science, while the majority defended the choice as a complex issue touching consciences.

The reform of healthcare professions stems from the need to update a system considered obsolete in light of the new demands of the National Health Service and technological evolution, such as artificial intelligence in the medical field. The origin of the legislative measure is linked to the necessity of rationalizing regulations, standardizing competencies, and addressing structural shortcomings, such as the flight of professionals from disadvantaged areas and excessive bureaucratic burdens.

One of the most controversial points, the possible reinstatement of healthcare workers struck off during Covid, has its roots in the controversies following the mandatory vaccination campaigns for healthcare personnel during the pandemic. During that period, many doctors and nurses were suspended or removed from professional registers for not being vaccinated. The issue has returned to the center of political debate with a proposal for a rule that, under certain conditions, would allow their return, sparking sharp divisions between the majority and the opposition.

The measure also addresses "criminal immunity" for healthcare workers, a temporary measure introduced in the past to protect operators from criminal proceedings for errors in hospital wards, provided they had followed guidelines and best practices. The new law aims to make this immunity permanent, extending the grounds for non-punishability and also considering staff shortages as a factor in assessing liability. The government will have six months from the law's entry into force to issue implementing decrees, with no new burdens on public finances.