Expert Commission ‘Health Services’ establishes priorities for EU term 2024-2029

Kitti Almer, Health Attaché for the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, outlined the priorities and potential impacts of the European Health Union, with a focus on skills, staffing, and mobility in the health care sector.

Tina Weber from Eurofound shared the results of Eurofound’s 2019-2021 report on staff shortages and 2023 research on lessons learnt from the permacrisis, and, most importantly, measures to address shortages. It was noted that the need for health care professionals will further rise due to the growing number of elderly people (80+), which is expected to increase by two and a half times between 2021 and 2100. Moreover, as illnesses become more complex and digitalization advances, continuous training and upskilling wouldbe crucial. Finally, health issues wuoldemerge from extreme climate events, vector-borne diseases and greater risks of antimicrobial resistance.

Emanuela del Salvio from Mental Health Europe and Katerina Žiga from the Public Health Promotion and Prevention Division of the city of Riga shared their findings on how to address mental burnout among healthcare workers. Despite some positive developments, the reintegration of health care professionals into the labour market after suffering from burnout remains difficult.

Lyudmil Ninov from the European Health Management Association presented the ‘BeWell’ Project and its new ‘EU Pact for Skills’. Their current strategy comprises a public consultation to provide insights on the digital and green upskilling and reskilling needs of the workforce, he said.

Rosella Icardi from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre outlined preliminary results of a study on demographic shifts within the health care workforce. The study reveals levels of density of doctors and nurses in each Member State and projects the future extent of understaffing driven by the rapidly aging population.

Against these findings, Paloma Repila, President of the Expert Commission, presented the motions on sufficient staffing levels for healthcare workforce, mental health care and an EU minimum patient-nurse ratio, which are to be submitted to CESI’s upcoming Congress in December. They are planned to represent the Expert Commission’s priorities during the coming years.

“The sustainability of health care services is challenged by demographic change, shortcomings in cross-border skills recognition, and widespread understaffing”, Klaus Heeger, Secretary-General of CESI, concluded. “To be prepared for aging populations and future health crises, Europe and the Member States must invest in the health care workforce; they must preserve the lifeblood of our health and care sectors; to protect the health, life and wellbeing of citizens, and the competitiveness of our societies.”