The healthcare sector in Europe is facing a crisis, with chronic staff shortages, low pay, and increasing levels of overtime leading to strikes in countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Slovenia. In Sweden, healthcare workers went on strike after failed negotiations and managed to secure reduced working hours, a salary increase, and other benefits. Similar issues are impacting healthcare workers across the EU, including an ageing population and difficulty in replacing retiring healthcare workers, leading to a workforce crisis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a “ticking timebomb” threatening health systems in Europe and Central Asia due to the ageing health workforce and poor working conditions. Over 80% of nurses in some countries reported psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many considering leaving the profession. Doctors and other healthcare workers in countries like Germany and Slovenia have gone on strike to demand better working conditions and fair pay.
In France, a controversial medical education reform that reduced the number of available positions for junior doctors has sparked outrage among medical students. The decrease in positions has raised concerns about the impact on hospitals and medical specializations. Some students claim their classmates chose to repeat their year and fail exams intentionally to protest the placement entry exams brought in by a contested medical studies reform in 2020.
The Bucharest Declaration on the health and care workforce, adopted by WHO Europe representatives in 2023, calls for political action to improve the recruitment and retention of healthcare workers and increase public investment in workforce education. However, the implementation of the declaration remains to be seen, and the stakes are high as the quality of care is directly impacted by the working conditions of healthcare workers. Overall, the healthcare crisis in Europe is forcing healthcare workers to fight for better working conditions and raises concerns about the future of healthcare in the region.
