Shortage of nursing staff in EU health systems
5.2.2020
Question for written answer E-000653/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Nicolás González Casares (S&D), Dolors Montserrat (PPE)
A number of studies clearly show that the EU is suffering from a shortage of nursing staff. There is also evidence that the sickness and death rates rise when the ratio of nursing staff to patients is too low. RN4CAST is one such study. Conducted in nine countries representative of the EU as a whole it concluded that simply adding one more patient to a nurse’s workload will increase by 7 % the probability that a hospital patient will die within 30 days of being admitted.
With a high life expectancy in the EU and its ageing population, demand for medical care and the nursing staff providing it has risen significantly. The EU average for nursing staff per 1 000 inhabitants currently stands at 8.8, but the figure is actually far lower in many countries. In view of this situation:
- 1.Does the Commission believe that healthcare authorities in the Member States should ensure their medical facilities have enough nursing staff to be sure the medical care and attention required can be safely guaranteed?
- 2.If so, should those Member States that fall below the EU average of 8.8 nursing staff per 1 000 inhabitants be working to close the gap?