Shortages in the Healthcare Sector Affecting EU Countries, the 2023 EURES Report Indicates

The 2023 EURES report on shortages and surpluses states that a number of EU nations are facing severe shortages in healthcare-related professions.

By providing accelerated work visa procedures for foreign workers, EU countries are attempting to alleviate one of the most pressing and prevalent shortages: that of specialist doctors and nurses.

The nations having the greatest documented shortages in healthcare are the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, and Germany. Notably, Ireland and Switzerland mainly depend on foreign medical professionals to cover these shortages.

The majority of in-demand healthcare occupations in EU nations

In the aforementioned nations, there is a serious shortage of the following healthcare occupations:

Specialists in medicine

Generalist physicians

Healthcare providers

Aides in healthcare

Medical practitioners who are not classified elsewhere

Experts in midwifery

Physiotherapists

Dental professionals

Chemists

Speech therapists and auditorologists

Growing Dependency on International Medical Experts

The need for foreign healthcare personnel is growing in these countries as a result of an aging population that exacerbates the shortages. For foreign professionals working in these disciplines, this offers a great chance to get jobs and work permits.

German Foreign Physicians: An Increasing Trend

Germany’s healthcare system is frequently cited as having shortages. Germany has seen an increase in the number of foreign doctors, which reflects this requirement. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports that 62,000 doctors, or 12 percent of the total, were foreign nationals in Germany in 2023. Compared to a decade ago, when there were 29,000 foreign doctors, this is a notable increase.

According to Destatis, 115,000 foreign medical professionals have relocated to Germany overall. Furthermore, according to Schengen.News in December 2023, Germany would require an additional 150,000 nurses by 2025 due to a severe nursing shortage. German authorities are actively hiring foreign nurses, particularly those from Latin America, to remedy this.

Foreign Workers’ Immigration Laws Are Relaxed

Amidst these shortages, a few EU nations, such as Denmark and Germany, have loosened their immigration regulations. As a result, it will be simpler for foreign healthcare professionals to get work permits and fill the increasing number of openings in the industry.