Changes between two versions
What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text
From · plenary report· 11 Jun 2026
on an EU health workforce crisis plan: sustainability of healthcare systems and employment and working conditions in the healthcare sector
To · adopted text· 17 Sept 2026
An EU health workforce crisis plan: sustainability of healthcare systems and employment and working conditions in the healthcare sector
AI:What changed, in short
The text now calls for a coordinated approach by the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization and the EU to monitoring the flow of healthcare workers.6 The other changes are formal: decimal points are replaced with commas in several figures.1234
1 change of substance · 5 formal · 0 of wording only
Written by AI from the two texts only · read the changes before relying on it · 18 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Changes to the text itself, in document order. Cover page, citations and punctuation-only edits are left out; they are under “Every difference”.
Changes of substance · 1
Change 6 Substance
AI summary:Adds the International Labour Organization to the bodies with which a coordinated approach to monitoring the flow of healthcare workers is needed.
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Changed:33. Stresses the need for a coordinated approach by the,the ILO, the WHO and the EU to monitoring the flow of healthcare workers, promoting ethical rules for international mobility and preventing brain drain; stresses that, where international recruitment is needed, it should not be considered the only tool for the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems, and should be regarded as a complementary measure, and must comply with ethical principles as set out in the WHO Global Code of Practice, so as to prevent creating or exacerbating workforce shortages in countries of origin and to improve relevant monitoring; recalls that such recruitment should also be carried out in full respect of national health systems and workforce sustainability; welcomes the inclusion of certain categories of healthcare professions in the list of EU-wide shortage occupations as part of an array of measures addressing labour shortages in the EU, in the context of the recently adopted EU Talent Pool Regulation;
5 formal changes: legal basis, citations, references, corrections
Change 1 Formal
AI summary:Replaces the decimal point with a comma in the figure for the estimated shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives.
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Changed:C. whereas healthcare workforce shortages are among the most pressing strategic challenges for the resilience and quality of healthcare systems in the EU; whereas the EU Member States had an estimated shortage of approximately 1.21,2 million doctors, nurses and midwives in 2022 to attain universal coverage; whereas the WHO expects a shortfall of 950 000 healthcare workers in the EU by 2030; whereas the healthcare sector is consistently ranked among the top three sectors with widespread and severe labour shortages across the Member States, according to the European Employment Services (EURES) and the European Labour Authority; whereas the retirement cohorts in relation to the current declining enrolment in health-related studies and inflows of new graduates highlight a widening future gap in the healthcare workforce in several countries; whereas the WHO report on the healthcare workforce in Europe (2022) shows that 30 % of medical doctors and 18 % of nurses are aged 55 or older, with 12 EU countries reporting 40 % of physicians aged 55 and over in 2022;
Change 2 Formal
AI summary:Replaces the decimal point with a comma in the percentage of people unable to access medical examination or treatment.
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Changed:J. whereas in 2024, 3.63,6 % of people aged 16 year or older in the EU who needed a medical examination or treatment reported being unable to access it due to financial constraints, long waiting lists, or excessive distance from healthcare services; whereas community and primary care workers are too often covered through precarious contracts, undermining continuity, quality and retention; whereas needs-based planning must go hand in hand with high-quality training and fair remuneration;
Change 3 Formal
AI summary:Replaces the decimal point with a comma in the figure for the annual cost of antimicrobial resistance.
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Changed:L. whereas every euro invested in prevention can yield a return of EUR 14 through avoided healthcare costs and increased productivity; whereas NCDs cost the EU over EUR 700 billion annually; whereas every year, higher health expenditure and reduced workforce productivity due to the growing pressure of AMR on healthcare systems cost EUR 11.711,7 billion in the EU;
Change 4 Formal
AI summary:Replaces the decimal point with a comma in the figure for lives lost per year to cardiovascular diseases.
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Changed:O. whereas all future EU health strategies or initiatives should address the needs of the EU healthcare workforce, also in view of the growing impact of major high-burden diseases including cardiovascular diseases which account for 1.71,7 million lives lost per year and 22 % of all hospital admissions, with significant consequences for both the healthcare workforce and healthcare systems;
Change 5 Formal
AI summary:Replaces the decimal point with a comma in the figure for the estimated EU-wide healthcare workforce deficit.
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Changed:1. Calls on the Commission to urgently develop a comprehensive and long-term European healthcare workforce strategy to increase the healthcare workforce by at least one million professionals over the next seven-year MFF (2028–2034), covering the estimated EU-wide healthcare workforce deficit of around 1.21,2 million; calls for this strategy to be aligned with demographic, technological and epidemiological trends, to focus on addressing shortages, working conditions, employment mobility, skills gaps, education and training, improved data collection, and innovation, to help Member States ensure sustainable, accessible and patient-centred healthcare systems that guarantee high-quality healthcare for all and provide good, safe and motivating working and training environments; for this purpose, calls on the Commission to monitor labour shortages across health professions and across regions; calls furthermore on the Commission to consult on this strategy with the EU social partners and professional organisations;