The staff shortage in healthcare will increase strongly in the coming ten years. If no action is taken, in 2034, fifteen percent of the requested care cannot be delivered in Drenthe, according to research by ABF Research, commissioned by, among others, Zorgpleinnoord.
In Drenthe, this means, among other things, that in 2034 almost half a million patient contacts and visits in general practices cannot continue, there is no place in the nursing home for 1,150 people and there is no or less room in childcare for many children.
“This is very drastic,” says Ina Huesken, member of the Supervisory Board of Zorgpleinnoord, the northern employers’ organization in care and welfare. “At the moment, the staff shortage in healthcare is still relatively easy in the North. But here too we see a number of professional groups that are struggling, such as general practitioners, district nurses and home care. In ten years you will see this in every group in healthcare.”
“The results make clear how heavy care is under pressure and that it is necessary that solutions from the entire society are sought,” says Zorgpleinnoord.
The national figures make the problem completely clear. Last year the shortage in healthcare was estimated at 59,800 employees. This number is expected to increase to 288,600 people at the end of 2034. That amounts to a deficit of 15.1 percent of the requested care. In addition, the researchers assume that until 2034 one percent more of the working people opts for healthcare. If this does not happen, the labor market deficiency can rise nationally to nearly 400,000 people.