Europe's Hospitals: Ailing from Doctor Shortages and Overwork

Healthcare Workers in Europe Face Crisis, Leading to Strikes

Public hospitals across Europe are facing similar challenges: an aging population requiring more healthcare and a shortage of healthcare workers due to the profession's declining appeal.

In 2023, Fides, a trade union representing doctors and dentists, attempted to create a separate pay pillar for healthcare professionals in the public sector, but the effort failed.

The government proposed amending the Medical Services Act to establish minimum working hours during strikes, but negotiations reached a standstill.

Sineva Ribeiro, president of the Swedish Association of Health Professionals, stated, We met a dead end in the negotiations.

Euronews reports that European countries are facing a workforce crisis in the health sector, as evidenced by strikes by various healthcare professionals.

These issues have prompted strikes across Europe, with healthcare workers demanding better working conditions.

While strikes are less common in Nordic countries, the Swedish Association of Health Professionals went on strike for 78 days in 2024 due to failed collective bargaining negotiations.

Tomas Zapata, a regional advisor at the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe, explained that increased demand for healthcare is driven by an aging population, chronic conditions, and backlogs from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospitals in France, Slovenia, and Sweden are experiencing staff shortages, low wages, and excessive overtime, leading to industrial action that impacts patient care.