Resolving the Workforce Problem in Health and Social Care Services in Europe: Towards an Evidence-Based Rationale for Public Services Investment and Growth

Europe’s health and social care systems are suffering from chronic staff shortages, rising inequalities and the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues pose urgent questions about the sustainability and resilience of public services across the continent. This edited volume offers the first evidence-based framework for tackling these issues. Drawing on cross-European case studies – from Scotland and Finland to Italy, Germany and Norway – the authors examine the structural, contextual and political factors shaping labour shortages. Using Social Democratic, Neoliberal and Corporatist welfare modules, they present a compelling rationale for renewed investment and long-term growth in public services. An original contribution to workforce theory, this book provides actionable strategies for tackling staff shortages and building resilient systems – offering both a diagnosis of the workforce crisis and a way forward for its resolution.