There are 1.2 million vacant healthcare positions in the European Union.

Omissions

• The 1.2 million figure is an estimate of a health-workforce SHORTAGE/DEFICIT (doctors, nurses and midwives), not a count of literally 'vacant positions' (κενές θέσεις) as the claim states.
• The estimate refers to the situation in 2022 (Health at a Glance: Europe 2024); it is more than two years old relative to the 2026-09-17 session and no more recent EU-wide figure was found.
• The assertion that the figure is 'projected to quadruple in the coming years' is not supported by any source found. On the contrary, WHO expects a gap of almost one million health workers by 2030 in its European region, and Eurostat-cited projections indicate a shortage of nearly 1 million healthcare workers by 2070 — i.e. a smaller future gap, not a quadrupling.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — 'Let's discuss the EU's healthcare workforce crisis' (Eurostat news)Projections suggest that, by 2070, Europe could face a shortage of nearly 1 million healthcare workers.
• SecondaryEuropean Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) — 'Healthcare in the EU: Addressing urgent labour shortages and ensuring quality jobs'The Health at a glance: Europe 2024 report, presented to the Public Health (SANT) Committee on 29 January 2025, estimates a shortage of 1.2 million doctors, nurses and midwives in the EU as of 2022.
• SecondaryRandstad — 'Strengthening clinician retention: global healthcare workforce trends in 2026'The European Commission and OECD estimated in Health at a Glance: Europe 2024 that EU countries faced a shortage of approximately 1.2 million doctors, nurses and midwives in 2022.
• SecondaryEU Perspectives — 'Europe is short of a million health workers. Parliament asks Brussels for money'The World Health Organization (WHO) counted a shortfall of 1.2 million health workers in 2022 in its European region. It expects a gap of almost one million by 2030, as populations age and long-term care needs grow.