One in two. That is the proportion of Italian NHS physicians who, according to the ENPAM-Eurispes Report presented in December 2024, are experiencing burnout.[1] Not occasional stress, not post-shift tiredness: chronic burnout, clinically measurable, with consequences for the quality of care delivered and the health of those who care. FNOMCeO President Filippo Anelli posed the question clearly at the national Conference on the Medical Question: "Who cares for the carers?"[2]
The figures say a great deal, but not everything. The 52% of physicians in burnout is an average — among on-call physicians (guardie mediche) it rises to 24%, and in specialties with exposure to trauma and emergencies the figures are even more concerning. Women are particularly affected: they represent 51.3% of physicians but experience twice the burnout rate of their male colleagues, also due to the difficulty of combining demanding shifts with family responsibilities.
The FNOMCeO "Milioni" campaign
The National Federation of Medical Associations has launched the "Milioni" (Millions) campaign to give voice to Italian healthcare professionals. The title evokes the millions of medical acts performed every day in Italy — and the invisible human cost sustaining them. The goal is also political: placing physician wellbeing at the centre of the health agenda, alongside waiting lists and digitalisation.
Burnout has structural causes that individual physicians cannot resolve alone. But there are concrete individual-level interventions that make a real difference.
1. Reduce the documentary burden. Bureaucracy is consistently cited as a primary cause of burnout by Italian physicians. Automatic documentation tools (SOAP note, report and letter generation) can reduce documentation time by 60-80% — returning hours that can be dedicated to patients or personal recovery.[5]
2. Use teleconsultation for difficult decisions. Clinical isolation — having to decide alone on complex cases without being able to consult a colleague — is an underestimated stress factor. Structured GP-specialist teleconsultation, now supported by the 2026 Budget Law, is not only efficient: it is also a form of professional support.
3. Recognise early warning signs. Burnout develops gradually. Early signals — sleep disturbances, growing irritability, difficulty switching off, sense of emptiness after consultations — are often rationalised as normal. They are not. Recognising them and seeking support (professional supervision, Balint groups, psychological support offered by provincial Medical Associations) before they become chronic is the most effective strategy.
Physician burnout is not an individual problem — it is a systemic one with consequences for the quality of care received by patients. An exhausted physician makes more errors, has less empathy, dedicates less time to difficult conversations. Caring for physician wellbeing is caring for patient health.
See also our articles on automatic SOAP notes and on waiting lists in Italy.
What are the early warning signs of burnout that physicians should recognise?
Early signs of burnout manifest across three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (feeling 'emptied', difficulty switching off from work, sleep disturbances, irritability), depersonalisation (emotional detachment from patients, growing cynicism, sense of going through the motions) and reduced personal accomplishment (feeling that one's work serves no purpose, doubts about professional choice). In Italy, anxiety affects 25.8% of physicians and depression 20.5% — significant figures indicating widespread suffering that often goes unrecognised.
How can reducing the bureaucratic burden help against burnout?
Bureaucratic burden is one of the main causes of burnout identified by Italian physicians — not because documentation is useless, but because the volume and complexity required has exceeded what a single professional can reasonably sustain in a working day. International studies show that physicians who adopt automatic documentation tools (note, letter and report generation) reduce documentation time by 60-80% and report a significant reduction in perceived stress. It is not a cure for burnout, but it is a concrete intervention targeting one of its primary causes.
What is the FNOMCeO doing for physician wellbeing?
FNOMCeO launched the 'Milioni' campaign to give visibility to the condition of Italian physicians and promote concrete support measures. Operationally, many provincial Medical Associations offer confidential psychological support for colleagues in difficulty, Balint groups, and professional supervision. FNOMCeO has also promoted the revision of the NHS organisational model to reduce bureaucratic burden and supports the introduction of digital tools to free up time for clinical activity.
Is burnout recognised as an occupational disease in Italy?
Not yet systematically, though the framework is evolving. The WHO has included burnout in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) since 2022 as an 'occupational phenomenon' — not strictly a disease, but a condition influencing health status. In Italy, recognition as an occupational disease requires demonstrating a causal link with working conditions to INAIL. For NHS physicians, protection pathways run mainly through the company occupational physician, national collective labour agreements and provincial Medical Association support services.
Every minute saved on documentation is a minute returned to care. SOAP notes, discharge letters, reports — automatically generated. GDPR compliant, hosted in Switzerland.
Try free for 14 days →