Permanent contracts, additional financial incentives and housing support will be offered to doctors, nurses and radiology technicians who commit to working for at least 18 months in areas of Sardinia facing particularly difficult conditions or staff shortages. The Regional Council of this Italian island has approved the guidelines for implementing this extraordinary recruitment scheme, tasking ARES with launching the competitive recruitment process.
The initiative aims to strengthen staffing in areas where recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals is particularly challenging due to geographical isolation, transport difficulties and demographic factors. Its ultimate goal is to ensure continuity of healthcare services and access to essential levels of care.
“We know that the shortage of healthcare professionals is one of the most difficult challenges to address. That is why we are working on several fronts, from recruitment to financial incentives, to make areas where providing healthcare services is currently most challenging more attractive,” said Alessandra Todde, President of Sardinia and acting Regional Health Councillor.
“Everyone in Sardinia must have equal access to healthcare, regardless of where they live. To guarantee this, we must create the conditions that encourage healthcare professionals to choose to work and remain in these areas, including those furthest from the main population centres,” she added.
The funding has already been allocated under Regional Budget Variation Law No. 20 of 21 September 2026: €6.5 million for 2026, €12.6 million for 2027 and €14.5 million annually from 2028 to 2030.
Under the guidelines, healthcare professionals will receive a regional hardship allowance in addition to their standard salary: €2,000 gross per month for doctors and €1,000 gross per month for nurses and medical radiology technicians. The amount will depend on the level of hardship or specific staffing challenges affecting the location or department concerned. It will form part of their additional remuneration.
All three professional groups will also be eligible for housing support of €500 per month, exempt from social security contributions, to cover all or part of documented rental costs within the area served by the healthcare organisation to which they are assigned. Travel expenses and additional mobility support may also be provided to professionals working on smaller islands or in particularly remote areas. Healthcare organisations may additionally offer telemedicine services, digital tools for clinical and care activities, and dedicated training programmes.
The resolution also establishes a technical working group within the Regional Department of Health. Its role will be to identify the locations and departments covered by the scheme, the medical specialties and professional profiles facing shortages, and the procedures for applying and adjusting the incentives.
The working group will also examine possible incentives for staff already working in departments facing particularly critical conditions, the option of choosing a different location after the initial 18-month period, and the possibility of extending benefits for professionals who remain at their assigned locations.
Once these details have been finalised, the Directorate General of Health will issue a specific measure identifying the priority recruitment competitions and the incentives available. ARES will manage the recruitment procedures in accordance with the staffing requirements of the regional healthcare organisations.
The recruitment notices must specify the improved employment conditions compared with those set out in national collective bargaining agreements. Healthcare organisations recruiting professionals under the scheme will incorporate these conditions into their individual employment contracts.
