In detail, we read in the Agenas press release, "in the first nine months of 2026, overall bookings went from 19.7 million in 2025 to 21.8 million, with an increase of over 10%". Furthermore, "both first specialist visits increased, from 11.3 to 12.3 million (+8.3%), and diagnostic tests, from 8.4 to 9.5 million (+13.3%)". And again, "the increase in bookings corresponds to an improvement in compliance with the guarantee times: for first visits the percentage goes from 76.9% to 78.6%, while for diagnostic tests it grows from 83.3% to 85%".
From Agenas data it emerges that "the first visits booked within the scheduled times increased from 8.7 to 9.6 million, with approximately 935 thousand more services. Diagnostic tests increased from 7 to 8.1 million, equal to approximately 1.1 million additional tests within the guarantee times". In total "there were therefore over 2 million more bookings within the expected timeframe". However, as regards bookings made beyond the maximum expected times, these "decrease both in absolute and percentage terms. For first visits they went from 2.14 to 2.11 million, with an incidence on the total that fell from 18.9% to 17.2%. For diagnostic tests they reduced from 1.089 to 1.084 million, going from 12.9% to 11.4%".
As regards the first visits classified as urgent, i.e. those to be guaranteed within three days, "compliance with deadlines goes from 78.8% to 81.7%", while as regards those in the Short class to be carried out within 10 days "it grows from 78.2% to 80.6%". Furthermore, "an improvement was also recorded for diagnostic tests: urgent services guaranteed within three days went from 74.2% to 77.3%, while those in the short class increased from 76.5% to 78.2%". An improvement also emerges with regard to deferrable services, "which go from 70.7% to 73.4% for first visits and from 83.4% to 85.5% for diagnostic tests".
In any case, Agenas data still shows marked differences between individual performances. Oncology visits, for example, reach 95.3% of time compliance while dermatological visits record a recovery from 65.8% to 69.9%, but remain among the most critical services. The same goes for colonoscopy, which recovers from 62.8% to 69.3% but still goes well beyond the expected times in 30% of cases. Gastroscopy then improved, from 68.6% to 72.6%, while breast ultrasound increased from 78.3% to 82%.
As mentioned, however, there are profound differences at a territorial level: in particular, the most critical situations are recorded in Umbria and Puglia, both of which are improving, however, and in Sardinia. In detail, for the first visits, four regions show a percentage of compliance with deadlines of less than 70%, in this group all recorded an improvement with the exception of Sardinia: Friuli-Venezia Giulia (67.8%), Sardinia (64.3%, down compared to 68%), Umbria (62.7%), Puglia (55.3%). For diagnostic tests, three regions record a percentage of compliance with times lower than 70%: Valle d'Aosta (69.7%), Umbria (64.7%), Puglia (63.4%).
Looking instead at the Regions with the best performances and above 90%, these are: Basilicata (99%), Marche (94.7%), Lazio (92.3%), Veneto (90.5%), but in some cases the high percentage could be attributable to an excessive number of prescriptions programmable at 120 days (class P) and therefore attributable to a critical issue of prescriptive appropriateness. For diagnostic tests, the Regions with the best performances (above 90%) are Veneto (97%), Campania (95.8%), Basilicata (95.1%), Marche (92.5%), Lazio (90.7%), Tuscany (90%).
"The data confirm a widespread improvement, a sign of a significant commitment by the entire Health Service on the issue of waiting lists". Even if "territorial differences remain, all the Regions are working with method and determination, and the results are starting to be seen", declared the general director of Agenas, Angelo Tanese. The National Platform for Tanese is "an indispensable tool for understanding where to intervene and evaluating the impact of the measures adopted. Today we are no longer moving in the dark, and we detect large margins for improvement that require targeted interventions. Knowing the numbers, however, is not enough. This is why we are carrying out a discussion with each Region on the critical issues and actions to be undertaken".
