Regional Health Systems, Regional Employment Relations? the Case of Italy

In many Western countries, varying, optimal levels of involvement of the State and the Regions in the provision of healthcare are debated. In Italy, though still defined as ‘national’, when referring to the health system it is now common to talk of ‘regional models of healthcare provision’. Regions have become increasingly responsible for the organisation and the financing of healthcare, but not for its employment relations, at least formally. By looking at the twenty regions in Italy and at the possible functional role performed by regional government in employment relations matters, it is contended that territorialisation of healthcare provision may challenge the effective implementation of the New Public Management-inspired reforms that were designed at a national scale.