The Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) today adopted the opinion on Healthcare workforce: regional challenges and solutions by rapporteur Birgitta Sacrédeus (SE/EPP), Regional Commissioner of Dalarna Region.
The opinion highlights the urgent need to address workforce shortages, particularly in the context of an ageing population, increasing medical demands, and the need for continuous skills development. Local and regional authorities, often responsible for healthcare, social care, and related services, must be actively involved in shaping and implementing strategies to strengthen the EU’s healthcare workforce.
Addressing the Commission Birgitta Sacrédeus said "The supply of skills in healthcare requires efforts at all levels. It is not possible to simply increase the number of staff. Great emphasis needs to be placed on retaining staff. This can involve promoting healthy workplaces, providing conditions for work-life balance, enabling career development, and finding flexible solutions."
Key Challenges and Recommandations:
The opinion outlines a number of challenges and puts forward a series of recommendations:
- Attracting and retaining staff: With many healthcare professionals leaving the sector, policies must ensure competitive working conditions, career development opportunities, and a better work-life balance, particularly for women, who represent a significant portion of the workforce. Childcare support and flexible work arrangements are crucial to retaining talent.
- Making healthcare careers appealing to young people: The opinion underscores the need for high-quality training and career promotion. The EU must create pathways to attract more young people to the sector and offer mentorship programs for individuals transitioning into healthcare roles.
- Prioritising health promotion and disease prevention: Strengthening public health initiatives, early disease detection, and self-care will help reduce the overall burden on healthcare systems and improve long-term outcomes.
- Investing in technology and digital solutions: The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and digital healthcare tools presents opportunities to improve efficiency while complementing traditional patient care. However, training healthcare professionals in digital skills is essential to fully harness these innovations.
- Ensuring ethical recruitment from non-EU countries: The EU must adhere to the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, preventing brain drain while ensuring fair and sustainable employment practices.
- Addressing regional disparities: Rural and remote areas often face greater challenges in accessing healthcare professionals. The opinion calls for EU investment in these regions, data-driven policies to identify ‘medical deserts,’ and cross-border cooperation to enhance healthcare mobility and infrastructure.
European Commission Perspective:
Maya Matthews, Head of Unit at DG SANTE, European Commission, emphasised the scale of the challenge: “There is currently a shortage of 1.2 million doctors, nurses, and midwives in the EU, which underscores the importance of this opinion. As society ages, this is reflected in the healthcare workforce, making it vital to inspire young people to pursue careers in the healthcare sector.”
She highlighted the strain on the existing workforce, noting that “According to the Health at a Glance report, 61% of nurses and 43% of doctors reported high job strain. Health workforce shortages affect the entire EU due to societal aging, as well as a lack of young professionals entering the healthcare system. This trend is alarming, and we must take action to address it.”
Matthews further stressed that the European Commission is actively supporting solutions through initiatives such as the Erasmus+ funded partnership on healthcare workforce strategy, which brings together the healthcare sector, private entities, NGOs, and training associations to identify the skills needed for the future. Additionally, seven EU-funded projects are focused on continuous professional education, an area previously identified as underfunded. These initiatives serve as incentives to support staff retention and enhance the overall resilience of the healthcare workforce.
With healthcare professionals forming the backbone of resilient health systems, the Committee urges stronger EU action to support regional and local authorities in developing policies that secure a sustainable and high-quality healthcare workforce.