Italy's healthcare system has gained recognition globally for its quality, but recent rankings reveal significant disparities among the country's hospitals. According to Newsweek magazine and Statista, this year's World’s Best Hospitals ranking named Ospedale Niguarda in Milan as the best hospital in Italy, marking the end of Policlinico Gemelli's four-year reign at the top.
Based on the insights of over 85,000 healthcare professionals worldwide, as well as patient experience surveys, publicly available hospital quality metrics, and patient outcome questionnaires, the latest rankings reflect both national and international assessments of Italy's medical facilities.
Ospedale Niguarda jumped 15 places to secure the 37th spot globally, directly contrasting with Policlinico Gemelli, now ranked 44th. Following Niguarda, Milan’s Ospedale San Raffaele came third, with the Istituto Humanitas in Rozzano and Policlinico Sant'Orsola in Bologna completing the top five.
Drawing attention to the rankings, the findings highlight stark regional disparities within Italy's healthcare. Notably, no hospital from the central or southern parts of Italy made it to the top ten, with Florence's Ospedale Careggi being the first non-northern hospital listed, coming at 11th place.
While the northern hospitals dominated, the southern region appears to lag significantly behind. Only three hospitals from this area made it to the top 50. Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, located in San Giovanni Rotondo, Puglia, was the highest-ranked southern hospital at 35th, followed by Policlinico in Bari at 39th, and Ospedale Federico II in Naples at 41st. This continues to reaffirm the perception of uneven healthcare quality across the nation.
Expanding the view from national to international, Italian hospitals are noted among the world's top 250, though they face stiff competition from facilities located elsewhere. The top five Italian hospitals managed to place within this list, yet Italy's performance pales next to other European countries. For comparison, hospitals from Sweden, Germany, France, and Austria rank prominently, with Stockholm's Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset receiving the highest distinction at number five worldwide.
The overall rankings demonstrated some fluctuations; Italy now has 13 hospitals on the global list, one fewer than the previous year, placing Italy as the third most-represented EU country on this platform, following Germany and France.
According to the data, the ranking process looked at key factors such as quality of care, advancements within research and technology, and the capability to attract top medical talent. Niguarda stood out for its exceptional services across various specialties such as gynecology and obstetrics, gastroenterology, oncology, neurosurgery, neurology, cardiology, and cardiac surgery.
While these rankings shine light on the excellence and dedication of Italian hospitals like Niguarda, they also showcase the challenges faced by other regions. Policlinico Gemelli's involvement with notable patients, including Pope Francis, adds another layer to the narrative of healthcare prestige.
The findings reinforce the need for improvement and equal quality of care across different parts of Italy. The healthcare authority and policymakers must address the evident disparities to encourage similar advancements throughout the south.
Italy's healthcare system remains highly rated overall, per assessments from the World Health Organisation and Bloomberg. The latest rankings from Newsweek, nonetheless, prompt questions about the future, calling for urgent actions to balance healthcare quality nationwide.
Looking globally, the top rank was retained by the Mayo Clinic located in Rochester, Minnesota, highlighting the fierce competition hospitals face internationally. The UK's highest-ranked hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, came at 33rd—further illustrating the need for Italian hospitals to strive for improvement.
With the future of healthcare continuing to evolve, the rankings serve as both recognition of excellence and as motivation for transformation across Italy's healthcare system. The hope is for more balanced access and quality of care, ensuring every citizen receives the best possible health services.