workers , and the numbers are climbing ,” Kluge told the European Health Forum Gastein in September 2023 . “ In some countries there are just 2.4 doctors for every 1,000 people . That ’ s not a gap . It ’ s a gulf ,” he adds .
Research by the European Employment Service unit at the European Labour Authority , found that a shortage of specialist medical practitioners has been identified in 16 out of the 31 countries it is investigating , according to the British Medical Journal .
In 15 countries there are shortages of nursing professionals , healthcare assistants and general medical practitioners . In 11 countries there are shortages of home based care workers and in about half of the countries researched the shortages are identified as severe .
While healthcare staff shortages are a pressing problem , they are not a new one . To tackle the issue , the EC presented an action plan in March 2024 on how it will tackle labour and skills shortages and proposes to work together with member States and social partners to address these issues over the coming months and years .
Labour shortage long-standing issue “ For almost a decade , labour and skills shortages have been increasing in all member States ,” the EC said in a statement . “ These shortages are driven by demographic shifts , the demand for new skills linked to technological developments , the drive
72 May 2024