Under Pressure: Safeguarding the Health of Europe's Oncology Workforce

Ensuring a well-supported, adequately staffed oncology workforce is essential for advancing cancer prevention, enhancing the quality of care, and ultimately reducing mortality rates across Europe. At the European Cancer Summit, under the leadership of its Workforce Network, ECO unveils the results of an extensive Pan-European survey of more than 700 cancer professionals from 30 countries – together with many of their personal stories.

Among the key highlights of the survey:
• 19% of cancer professionals experience high levels of burnout
• 51% say their supervisors do not care about their well-being
• 52% report that their workload seems 'endless'
• 55% report that administrative procedures make their job too difficult
• 77% reported often needing to work overtime.

European Cancer Summit 2023 Session: An Oncology Workforce in Crisis - They care for us. Do we care for them?

Watch the session recording here and read the full European Cancer Summit 2023 Report to discover the rich and diverse discussions of this session.

A Cancer Workforce in Crisis: Driving political action and finding solutions to the health workforce crisis

We have launched a pan-European campaign focused on changing policies within national governments and medical institutions to improve working conditions for cancer professionals throughout Europe. Together, we need to document the full extent of the crisis, assemble more and better data, case studies of impact, and best practices and policy recommendations to highlight and promote.    

Find out more here. 

INTERACT-EUROPE: Development of an Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Programme Across Europe

The INTERACT-EUROPE Showcase Event led the project to the next phase: expanding to 100 cancer centres across Europe and implementing an extensive Inter-specialty Cancer Training (ISCT) curriculum.  At its core, this programme fosters a patient-centric approach to cancer care through a genuine multidisciplinary and multi-professional approach.

INTERACT-EUROPE has a clear and unwavering objective: improve cancer care by improving the collaboration of those providing it.

Read more here.

Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe (ACOE)

A well-trained workforce that constantly updates its knowledge is critical in disease prevention and promoting quality care. Continuing professional development and education is a mainstay requirement to make sure this is the case.

The Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe (ACOE) provides accreditation to Continuing Medical Education (CME) providers (including Member Societies of the European Cancer Organisation for the benefit of participants receiving education in oncology. Read more here.

Background

Cancer care and treatment are simply not possible without the cancer workforce. At the European level, there is much that can be progressed in respect to such issues: as elevating training and development; promoting labour mobility and professional qualification recognition; and safeguarding working conditions.

For these reasons and more, we have established a Network on Workforce matters to bring together professions and others to speak as one about the unaddressed policy needs at the European level that could help ensure the right of every cancer patient to specialised multidisciplinary cancer care  is upheld and made a reality. 

The Co-Chairs are currently overseeing the creation of a new consensus position paper of Europe’s cancer professions covering such pressing topics as:

• How to address the growing problem of workforce shortages in cancer care
• The unrealised opportunities for stimulating oncology professional qualification recognition and mobility in Europe
• Evident inequalities in educational opportunities
• Ensuring the safety of healthcare workers in cancer care
• Providing attention to work-life balance concerns

To find out more about this Network, or support our work, please contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..