EPH Conference statement commitment 5: “A resilient and valued workforce is key to sustainable health systems. We call for long-term investment in training, retention, decent working conditions, and well-being for all health and care workers.”
Across Europe and beyond, the health and care workforce (HCWF) is experiencing a prolonged and deepening crisis. Demographic shifts, evolving population health needs, technological transitions, labour market dynamics, and growing pressures on professionals to manage complex decisions under constrained conditions are reshaping the workforce for decades to come. The recently published Supplement to the European Journal of Public Health emphasises that responding to these challenges requires a comprehensive and strategic perspective that anticipates future vulnerabilities rather than reacting to current shortages. It highlights two guiding principles: workforce solutions must be grounded in evidence and better aligned between research, policy, and organisational practice; and frontline experiences — including collaboration challenges, retention decisions, migration pressures, and moral injury — must inform reforms at organisational, national, and transnational levels (Ungureanu et al., 2026).
The WHO Health and Care Workforce Framework for Action 2023–2030 built this call, urging improved retention and working conditions, strengthened governance, and systematic use of workforce data for planning (World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, 2023). Increasing training capacity alone is insufficient. Sustainable strategies require safe and supportive work environments, long-term workforce intelligence systems, and meaningful engagement of professionals in shaping reform.
The European Observatory further underlines that workforce sustainability depends on intersectoral governance. Education systems, labour market policies, migration frameworks, financing arrangements, and professional regulation all influence workforce supply and retention. Fragmented responsibilities, weak coordination across ministries, and gaps in implementation capacity undermine long-term planning. Strengthening collaboration across sectors and levels of government is therefore essential to build a resilient workforce (Caffrey et al., 2023).
Strengthening and supporting the workforce requires attention at multiple levels: individual well-being and professional development; organisational culture and leadership; national planning systems; and European cooperation mechanisms. When micro-level realities are integrated into system design and governance structures support implementation, workforce reforms become more sustainable and equitable.