As of 31 December 2022, the rules governing visits and accompaniment in hospitals, rehabilitation and long-term care facilities (e.g. RSAs) are as follows:
GREEN PASS: all provisions requiring a Green Pass (basic or reinforced) to access hospitals and other similar facilities have been repealed. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to present a Green Pass to gain entry. A Green Pass is likewise not required for temporary leave from facilities such as RSAs or similar establishments.
SWAB TESTS: The provision requiring a swab test as a condition for accessing emergency department services has been repealed. Therefore, under no circumstances may a test be required of patients, inpatients or visitors to healthcare or socio-healthcare facilities.
MASKS: The Minister of Health has extended until 30 April 2023 the requirement to wear a surgical mask for workers, users and visitors across all healthcare, socio-healthcare and social welfare facilities, including hospitality and long-term care facilities, residential care homes (RSAs), hospices, rehabilitation centres, residential homes for the elderly, including dependent persons, and any other residential care, treatment and rehabilitation facilities.
DOCTORS' SURGERIES AND OUTPATIENT CLINICS: The information included in the Ministry of Health circular of 1 January 2023, according to which the mask mandate had purportedly been extended to doctors' surgeries and outpatient clinics, is incorrect. There is no change compared to the rules already in force, and the requirement applies solely to the facilities mentioned above.
VISITS TO PATIENTS AND INPATIENTS: Decree-Law no. 221/2021 provided for a minimum of 45 minutes per day until the end of the state of emergency. Consequently, from 31 March 2022 onwards, visiting hours have returned to normal and facility managers may not prohibit patients and inpatients from receiving visits, including daily ones, from their loved ones.
FORMAL NOTICE: In the event of conduct by the managers of the aforementioned healthcare and residential facilities that breaches the legal framework set out above, it is possible to issue a formal notice (diffida). The text of the formal notice is available at the bottom of this page: https://www.difendersiora.it/vademecum-ospedali-e-rsa
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT: Where facility managers continue to unlawfully obstruct visits and access, it will be possible to file a criminal complaint against them for the offences of unlawful coercion (Art. 610 of the Italian Criminal Code), abuse of office (Art. 323 of the Criminal Code) and ill-treatment (Art. 572 of the Criminal Code).
For further details and to download the text of the formal notice, a handbook is available on the website. Here is the link: https://www.difendersiora.it/vademecum-ospedali-e-rsa