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Anaesthesia workforce in Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2007

C. B. Egger Halbeis ,
K. Cvachovec ,
P. Scherpereel ,
J. Mellin-Olsen ,
L. Drobnik  and
A. Sondore
C. B. Egger Halbeis*
Affiliation:
Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford, USA
K. Cvachovec
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Praha, Czech Republic
P. Scherpereel
Affiliation:
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Hopital Claude Huriez, Department of Anaesthesiology, Lille, France
J. Mellin-Olsen
Affiliation:
Asker and Bærum Hospital, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Rud, Norway
L. Drobnik
Affiliation:
University of Medicine, University Hospital No. 2, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Poznan, Poland
A. Sondore
Affiliation:
Riga Stradins University, Department of Anaesthesiology, Riga, Latvia
*
Correspondence to: Christoph Benedikt Egger Halbeis, Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-H5640, USA. E-mail: cbeh@stanford.edu; Tel: +1 650 723 6411; Fax: +1 650 725 8544
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Abstract

Background and objective

The European anaesthesia workforce is facing increased demand and expansion of the labour market, which may likely exceed supply. This survey assesses the numbers and practice patterns of anaesthesiologists and studies migration and shortage of the anaesthesia workforce in Europe.

Methods

A questionnaire was sent to all national European anaesthesia societies. Countries were grouped according to their relationship with the European Union.

Results

The number of anaesthesiologists per 100 000 population varies between 2.7 (Turkey) and 20.7 (Estonia). There seems to be no clear evidence for feminization of the anaesthesia workforce. Anaesthesia physician training lasts between 3 yr (Armenia, Belarus, Uzbekistan) and 7 yr (Ireland, UK), and seems to positively correlate with the number of trainees. Throughout Europe, anaesthesiologists typically work in public practice, and are involved in the entire care chain of surgical patients (anaesthesia, intensive care, chronic pain and pre-hospital emergency medicine). The differences between European salaries for anaesthesiologists are up to 50-fold. Most Western European countries are recipients of migrating anaesthesiologists who often originate from the new member states of the European Union. However, it seems that expectations about anaesthesia workforce shortages are not confined to Eastern Europe.

Conclusions

Each European country has its own unique workforce constellation and practice pattern. Westward migration of anaesthesiologists from those countries with access to the European Union labour market may be explained by substantial salary differences. There is a European-wide lack of systematic, comparable data about the anaesthesia workforce, which makes it difficult to accurately assess the supply of anaesthesiologists.

Keywords

MANPOWERANAESTHESIOLOGYEMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATIONEUROPE
Type
Original Article
Information
European Journal of Anaesthesiology , Volume 24 , Issue 12 , December 2007 , pp. 991 - 1007
Copyright
Copyright © European Society of Anaesthesiology 2007

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