The World Health Organization (WHO) has projected a significant shortage of 4.1 million healthcare workers in the European Union (EU) by 2030, which includes a deficit of 600,000 doctors, 2.3 million nurses, and 1.3 million other healthcare professionals.

Francesca Colombo from the OECD pointed out that although the supply of health workers has increased, the demand has outpaced this growth, placing immense pressure on healthcare professionals.

Retention strategies are crucial, as emphasized by Eva Hrncirova, who argues that without retaining health workers, investments in education and training will not yield the desired returns.

Financial compensation disparities across healthcare professions contribute to retention challenges, with over 40% of personal care workers and 20% of nurses experiencing financial difficulties, compared to only 5% of doctors.

In response to these challenges, the European Commission is developing a roadmap aimed at improving working conditions, fair wages, and support for healthcare professionals.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies in healthcare is viewed as a potential solution to enhance productivity and alleviate workloads, provided that healthcare professionals receive adequate training.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission has created a model to project future supply and demand for health workers until 2071, highlighting urgent recruitment needs from now until 2036.

The OECD has stressed the necessity for better data to inform workforce planning, particularly in understanding turnover rates and the evolving demand for healthcare services.

Shortages are particularly acute in specific specialties, such as general practitioners, with only 20% of doctors serving in this role in 2022, a situation exacerbated by the fragmentation of medical specialties across the EU.

A study by Livio Garattini and colleagues revealed that five EU countries have 63 different medical specialties, many of which are overly specialized, undermining integrated care for chronic and multi-morbid patients.

By 2035, an estimated 7 million people will be employed in the healthcare sector in the EU, but this may not suffice to meet the needs of an aging population, projected to grow from 21% in 2025 to nearly 30% by 2050.