Abstract
The consequences of the current economic crisis on healthcare services and the related hospital action plans to contain costs are results that are dependent on underlying health phenomena (trends), generally observable worldwide. The recognition of these trends, that have become continuous in this historical period (11 laws in just over 30 months), is the basis for planning intervention within the services. If one wants to minimise or eliminate the consequences for recipients, it is necessary to take decisions that are consistent with the trends and the analysis of inefficiencies in healthcare services, as described in the WHO World Health Report of 2010. A reflection on the buying patterns in the public health sector in Italy is presented in the final section of the article.