Declining EU workforce is a ‘ticking timebomb’

The World Health Organisation is urging Europe to act now to recruit and train the next generation of health and care workers

A new World Health Organisation (WHO) Europe report invites each EU member state to suggest solutions on how to increase staffing levels in EU-wide health services.

Without immediate action, health and care workforce gaps in the European region could spell disaster as 40% of medical doctors are close to retirement age in one third of countries in Europe and central Asia, according to a recent World Health Organisation/Europe report.

All countries of the WHO European Region – encompassing 53 member states across Europe and central Asia – currently face severe challenges related to the health and care workforce – with an ageing workforce chief among them. The analysis finds that 13 of the 44 countries that reported data on this issue have a workforce in which 40% of medical doctors are already aged 55 years or older.