{"id":5425,"date":"2025-09-23T11:33:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T07:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/?p=5425"},"modified":"2025-09-23T11:33:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T07:33:51","slug":"migration-of-healthcare-workers-growing-trends-challenges-and-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/migration-of-healthcare-workers-growing-trends-challenges-and-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Migration of Healthcare Workers: Growing Trends, Challenges, and Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify\">On September 17, 2025, the World Health Organization&#8217;s Regional Office for Europe published an unprecedented report on the migration of personnel in the healthcare sector. Experts and representatives from various countries gathered at an online event to discuss the dynamics of healthcare worker migration, share detailed regional data and specific examples that reflect existing challenges and policy responses to them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Growing and Changing Migration Trends<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">According to the report, the migration of medical personnel in Europe has intensified sharply in the last decade. From 2014 to 2023, the number of foreign-educated doctors in European countries increased by 58%, reaching almost 300,000. In the case of nurses, this trend is even more apparent\u2014their number increased by 67% during the same period. A large part of this increase is in Germany and the United Kingdom, where 62% of foreign doctors and 88% of nurses are employed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Annual data also points to growing migration flows: from 2015 to 2023, the number of foreign doctors in Europe almost tripled (from 17,000 to 52,000), while in the case of nurses, it increased fivefold. This trend clearly indicates that against the backdrop of a growing shortage of staff, European healthcare systems are becoming increasingly dependent on foreign personnel.<\/p>\n\r\n                <style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n                    \r\n                    #tdi_1  .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 {\r\n                        background: url(https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.52.19-160x120.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;\r\n                    }\r\n                    #tdi_1  .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 {\r\n                        background: url(https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.27-160x120.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;\r\n                    }\r\n                    #tdi_1  .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 {\r\n                        background: url(https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.47-160x120.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;\r\n                    }\r\n                    #tdi_1  .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 {\r\n                        background: url(https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-18.52.57-160x120.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;\r\n                    }\r\n                <\/style>\r\n\r\n                <div id=\"tdi_1\" class=\"td-gallery td-slide-on-2-columns\">\r\n                    <div class=\"post_td_gallery\">\r\n                        <div class=\"td-gallery-slide-top\">\r\n                           <div class=\"td-gallery-title\">Health workforce in the WHO European Region<\/div>\r\n\r\n                            <div class=\"td-gallery-controls-wrapper\">\r\n                                <div class=\"td-gallery-slide-count\"><span class=\"td-gallery-slide-item-focus\">1<\/span> of 4<\/div>\r\n                                <div class=\"td-gallery-slide-prev-next-but\">\r\n                                    <i class = \"td-icon-left doubleSliderPrevButton\"><\/i>\r\n                                    <i class = \"td-icon-right doubleSliderNextButton\"><\/i>\r\n                                <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                        <div class = \"td-doubleSlider-1 \">\r\n                            <div class = \"td-slider\">\r\n                                \r\n                    <div class = \"td-slide-item td-item1\">\r\n                        <figure class=\"td-slide-galery-figure td-slide-popup-gallery\">\r\n                            <a class=\"slide-gallery-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.52.19-scaled.jpg\" title=\"Screenshot 2025-09-22 at 17.52.19\"  data-caption=\"\"  data-description=\"\">\r\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.52.19-927x420.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.52.19-927x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.52.19-1854x840.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"(-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) 840px, (min-resolution: 192dpi) 840px, 420px\" alt=\"\">\r\n                            <\/a>\r\n                            \r\n                        <\/figure>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                    <div class = \"td-slide-item td-item2\">\r\n                        <figure class=\"td-slide-galery-figure td-slide-popup-gallery\">\r\n                            <a class=\"slide-gallery-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.27-scaled.jpg\" title=\"Screenshot 2025-09-22 at 17.53.27\"  data-caption=\"\"  data-description=\"\">\r\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.27-934x420.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.27-934x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.27-1868x840.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"(-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) 840px, (min-resolution: 192dpi) 840px, 420px\" alt=\"\">\r\n                            <\/a>\r\n                            \r\n                        <\/figure>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                    <div class = \"td-slide-item td-item3\">\r\n                        <figure class=\"td-slide-galery-figure td-slide-popup-gallery\">\r\n                            <a class=\"slide-gallery-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.47-scaled.jpg\" title=\"Screenshot 2025-09-22 at 17.53.47\"  data-caption=\"\"  data-description=\"\">\r\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.47-937x420.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.47-937x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-17.53.47-1873x840.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"(-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) 840px, (min-resolution: 192dpi) 840px, 420px\" alt=\"\">\r\n                            <\/a>\r\n                            \r\n                        <\/figure>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                    <div class = \"td-slide-item td-item4\">\r\n                        <figure class=\"td-slide-galery-figure td-slide-popup-gallery\">\r\n                            <a class=\"slide-gallery-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-18.52.57.jpg\" title=\"Screenshot 2025-09-22 at 18.52.57\"  data-caption=\"\"  data-description=\"\">\r\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-18.52.57-958x420.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-18.52.57-958x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-22-at-18.52.57-1917x840.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"(-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) 840px, (min-resolution: 192dpi) 840px, 420px\" alt=\"\">\r\n                            <\/a>\r\n                            \r\n                        <\/figure>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                        <div class = \"td-doubleSlider-2\">\r\n                            <div class = \"td-slider\">\r\n                                \r\n                    <div class = \"td-button td-item1\">\r\n                        <div class = \"td-border\"><\/div>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                    <div class = \"td-button td-item2\">\r\n                        <div class = \"td-border\"><\/div>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                    <div class = \"td-button td-item3\">\r\n                        <div class = \"td-border\"><\/div>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                    <div class = \"td-button td-item4\">\r\n                        <div class = \"td-border\"><\/div>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                \n<div id=\"chat-history\" class=\"chat-history-scroll-container\" style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<div id=\"4d7f8d20859a0e76\" class=\"conversation-container message-actions-hover-boundary ng-star-inserted\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"response-container ng-tns-c1999795942-52 response-container-with-gpi ng-star-inserted response-container-has-multiple-responses\">\n<div class=\"presented-response-container ng-tns-c1999795942-52\">\n<div class=\"response-container-content ng-tns-c1999795942-52\">\n<div class=\"response-content ng-tns-c1999795942-52\">\n<div id=\"model-response-message-contentr_4d7f8d20859a0e76\" class=\"markdown markdown-main-panel stronger enable-updated-hr-color\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p><strong>The Complex Picture of Migration and Regional Characteristics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The dynamics of migration are multifaceted and complex. Although in the five main countries (United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Ireland, France), the majority of foreign medical workers were educated outside Europe (specifically, in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Latin America, Syria, Romania, Tunisia, and Algeria), in most other countries, intra-European migration predominates. These flows are mainly directed from Eastern and Southern Europe to Northern and Western Europe, and migration is also observed between sub-regions, for example, in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.<\/p>\n<p>The highest proportion of foreign doctors is in Northern and Western Europe, specifically in the northern part, their number approaches one-third of the total medical staff. Overall, the dependence on foreign professionals is highest in Israel, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, where more than 40% of doctors and a significant portion of nurses come from abroad. This growing dependence calls into question the sustainability of healthcare systems and creates the risk that the healthcare sector will become overly dependent on foreign personnel.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Examples from Countries: Diverse Challenges and Policy Responses<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The report presents nine in-depth studies that reflect the experience of different countries:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Ireland<\/span> faces a dual challenge, as it is both a receiving center and a source of outflow of medical workers. Approximately 40% of doctors and 50% of nurses in the country are foreign. In response to these challenges, Ireland has implemented a number of strategies, including: increasing the number of training places, creating working groups to retain staff, stopping salary reductions for personnel, and developing schemes that encourage foreign doctors to work in less developed regions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Republic of Moldova<\/span> faces a serious problem of brain drain, as approximately one-third of its population lives abroad, and there is a great shortage of qualified staff in rural areas. To solve this problem, the state is trying to impose a certain obligation on graduates so that they continue to work in their homeland, and there is also a financial incentive for doctors who work in less developed districts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Romania<\/span> experienced a massive outflow of doctors after joining the European Union (in 2007). The government&#8217;s responsive policy included a significant increase in salaries, the renovation of medical facilities, and the expansion of educational programs, as a result of which the outflow of doctors was reduced threefold. Despite this, the problem of the uneven geographical distribution of medical workers is still relevant: staff are concentrated around medical schools, and there is a shortage of them in other districts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Tajikistan&#8217;s<\/span> healthcare sector faces several significant challenges related to the provision of healthcare services in rural areas, the distribution of medical personnel, and the impact of migration. Almost one-third of the country&#8217;s population lives abroad, which is compounded by lower salaries compared to EU countries and a critically small number of medical personnel in villages and remote districts.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Challenges of the Healthcare Sector: Georgia&#8217;s Experience in the European Context<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Georgia&#8217;s post-Soviet period was characterized by geopolitical instability and population migration. The granting of EU candidate status and visa-free travel increased labor mobility, which had a direct impact on the migration of medical personnel.<\/p>\n<p>Healthcare expenditures constitute 7-8% of GDP. More than half of this amount is funded from the state budget, and the rest is covered by citizens&#8217; personal expenses and private insurance. The majority of Georgia&#8217;s healthcare system is privatized, with commercial hospitals dominating, which makes the management of those employed in the healthcare sector fragmented. This contributes to the uneven distribution of medical workers.<\/p>\n<p>There are approximately 22,000 doctors and the same number of nurses in Georgia, which brings the ratio between them closer to 1:1. This figure falls significantly short of the standards of the WHO European Region, which aims for a 2:1 ratio. This imbalance is particularly striking in villages and mountainous regions, where the shortage of medical personnel is a serious problem.<\/p>\n<p>Accurate data on other representatives of the healthcare sector (such as dentists, pharmacists, and allied workers) does not exist, which hinders the development of effective planning strategies. This is compounded by the unequal regional distribution of medical personnel, the aging of staff, and systemic challenges such as the delay in professional development.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>The Field of Medical Education and Training<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Georgia has an unusually high density of medical schools. There are 25 accredited higher education institutions in the country, which, in addition to Georgian-language programs, also have English-language programs and attract up to 10,000 foreign students annually. The majority of foreign students come from India, Africa, and Europe. Thus, medical education has become a significant sector of the country&#8217;s economy, but its rapid expansion exceeds the opportunities for clinical training, which calls into question the quality of education and the level of preparation of graduates.<\/p>\n<p>Doctors must complete a 6-year MD program, undergo a residency (which is usually self-funded), and receive a specialty certificate. However, the residency program is accompanied by serious problems, including low quality, the unpaid status of residents, insufficient supervision of the program, and improperly developed exams. Continuing Medical Education (CME), which was abolished in 2008, was partially restored in 2022 for some specialties. Despite this, challenges still exist related to the uneven level of participation and quality control.<\/p>\n<p>In nursing education, vocational programs dominate, which means that the number of nurses with a university diploma is low. Although new reforms (a classification and certification system) are aimed at increasing the professionalism of nurses and retaining staff, low salaries and unfavorable working conditions remain a serious problem.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Migration Dynamics<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The migration trend of medical workers from Georgia, especially doctors and nurses, is increasingly growing. In 2014-2023, the most popular destinations for Georgian nurses were Germany, the U.S., and Israel. They often have to work not as licensed nurses but as nursing assistants, which is caused by the discrepancy in skills and certification. Georgian doctors, on the other hand, usually leave the country at the beginning of their careers to continue their studies or work in English- or German-speaking countries. They face obstacles such as language barriers, bureaucratic procedures, and financial costs.<\/p>\n<p>The main reasons for migration are: limited opportunities for career advancement, unsatisfactory working conditions, and low salaries (nurses in Germany earn, on average, ten times more, and doctors in the U.S. earn up to 50 times more). Personal and family factors also influence the decision to migrate or stay in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Qualitative data shows that talented professionals leave the country due to mistreatment in the workplace and systemic distrust. This once again highlights the human and professional loss caused by migration. Although some emigrants consider working abroad to be critically important for skill development, the number of returning professionals is minimal and insufficient to fill the drained workforce.<\/p>\n<p>Recent political efforts in the country include setting minimum wages, accrediting healthcare facilities, reforms to increase the professionalism of nurses, and creating a digital registry. However, the impact of the reforms on migration and staff retention is still unconfirmed, which is hindered by the scarce database and the fragmentation of relevant systems. The management of staff is also complicated by the fact that the private sector is the main participant in employment and retraining, so more accountability and cooperation are needed to improve working conditions and professional development.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Key Recommendations and Future Plans<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>According to the report, migration is a two-way process: it is accompanied by both opportunities and challenges. Therefore, it needs to be managed wisely. The recommendations are as follows:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;text-align: justify\">In &#8220;source&#8221; countries (from which personnel are outflowing), retaining medical workers is possible by improving working conditions, salaries, career growth, and education.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;text-align: justify\">In &#8220;receiving&#8221; countries, achieving independence will be possible by expanding training programs and better planning of workplaces, which will reduce long-term dependence on international recruitment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;text-align: justify\">The implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel is needed, which will promote fair and ethical practices in the international recruitment of medical personnel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;text-align: justify\">By improving data collection and collaboration between countries, it will be possible to more effectively monitor migration flows and staffing needs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Given that a deficit of 1.3 million medical personnel is expected in Europe by 2030, the need for a coordinated political response is increasingly growing. The Director of the Department of Health Systems at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Dr. Natasha Zaparade-Muscat, spoke about the severity of the current situation: <em>&#8220;We stand at a critical crossroads, because despite having more health professionals than ever before, our region faces a projected shortfall of nearly 1.3 million health and care workers by 2030, five years from now. This shortage is being driven not only by rising and changing demands for care, but also by an aging workforce, burnout, and persistently difficult working conditions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This report is a crucial resource for making evidence-based decisions and shows that large-scale changes can be achieved with targeted and complex interventions. Through collaboration and ethical recruitment, Europe will ensure the sustainability and strength of the healthcare sector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"input-area-container ng-tns-c2832547685-2 ng-trigger ng-trigger-inputAreaAnimation ng-star-inserted\" style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<div class=\"input-area ng-tns-c941018249-5 with-toolbox-drawer\" data-node-type=\"input-area\">\n<div class=\"text-input-field ng-tns-c941018249-5 with-toolbox-drawer height-expanded-past-single-line\">\n<div class=\"leading-actions-wrapper ng-tns-c941018249-5 ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"toolbox-drawer-container ng-tns-c601534022-13 ng-trigger ng-trigger-toolboxDrawerEnter\">\n<div class=\"toolbox-drawer-button-container ng-tns-c601534022-13 ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/europe\/publications\/i\/item\/WHO-EURO-2025-10839-50611-76542\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WHO<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On September 17, 2025, the World Health Organization&#8217;s Regional Office for Europe published an unprecedented report on the migration of personnel in the healthcare sector. Experts and representatives from various countries gathered at an online event to discuss the dynamics of healthcare worker migration, share detailed regional data and specific examples that reflect existing challenges [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5426,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1594],"tags":[2001,2003,2002,2004],"class_list":["post-5425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-european-region","tag-healthcare-workers","tag-migration","tag-who"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5425"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5441,"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5425\/revisions\/5441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}