Abstract
Healthcare workforce shortages are felt across the globe in all professions. The WHO highlighted for its European region that countries are currently facing severe challenges related to their healthcare workforce that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic and that have been exacerbated by it.
In addition to individuals leaving the healthcare professions due to increasing workloads and unmanageable staffing situations, the healthcare workforce is ageing. A demographic shift of a large section of the workforce into retirement age threatens to impact human resources in all European health professions.
Response in the form of adequate workforce planning is urgently needed.