With 6.3 practicing nurses per 1 000 population in Italy in 2011 (compared to the OECD average of 8.8 per 1 000 population), there are concerns about shortage of nurses who constitute a relatively small group of health workers. In 2011, the ratio of nurses to physicians was one of the lowest among OECD countries, at 1.6 nurses per doctor compared to an average of 2.8 in OECD countries. Regions are today entirely responsible for legislative and administrative functions for planning health care activities with mostly all policies developed and implemented by region and autonomous province.