Europe struggling with pressure on health systems in ‘tough winter’

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Some European countries are experiencing a "tough winter" with increasing pressure on health systems amid strikes, drug shortages, and a surge in hospital bed occupancies.

Although Europe focuses on political and economic issues like Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, uncertainty about energy prices, and the cost of living, health has become an important agenda item for many European countries.

A rise in flu and coronavirus cases, as well as strikes by health care workers, has played a major role in increasing pressure on health systems that have caused long lines at hospitals and left many beds occupied at more than expected rates.

Increased upper respiratory cases have been defined as a "tripledemic" in some countries like France while the UK labeled the current situation a "twindemic."

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Dec. 1, 2022 that the "influenza season epidemic kicks off early in Europe" and countries are now trying to ease the burden on health systems that is at risk of rising cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID.

Here is the latest situation in some European countries:

- France

While fighting the "tripledemic" of coronavirus, flu, and bronchiolitis, a wide range of protests and strikes by doctors has become a top agenda item when it comes to the health system.

Protesting for better wages and working conditions, general practitioners went on strike between Dec. 26, 2022 and Jan. 8.

In addition to the rising number of patients, staff shortages, and winter illnesses causing long wait times in emergency departments, drug shortages are another ongoing issue as paracetamol and children’s antibiotics are hard to find at pharmacies due to supply issues.

Health Minister Francois Braun said on Jan. 5 that France needs two months to replenish supplies of antibiotics for children.

- Greece

The rising number of patients suffering from COVID-19 and the flu has led to insufficient intensive care units (ICU) and children’s doctors.

Experts urged taking "urgent preventive measures" because of the significant surge in respiratory infections.

Health authorities warned Monday that occupancy rates at most children's hospitals were already reaching their limits.

Nikos Tzanakis, a senior expert in pulmonology, warned earlier that number of weekly flu cases could be as high as 350,000.

Greece faces a medicine shortage as it already called on the EU to find "a common solution" to drug shortages that have hit multiple member states.

The latest figures about hospital bed occupancy rates seem more sobering. Citing health authorities, media reports said Friday that more than 80% of ICU beds are already full.

- UK

Britain has again become the “sick man of Europe” as it experiences a wide range of ongoing strikes with the problem in the health care system turning into a "crisis."

Tim Cooksley, head of the Society for Acute Medicine, said on Jan. 2, that the National Health Service (NHS) is under more pressure than it was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A rise in COVID and flu cases as well as strikes by health care staff has paved the way for long queues at Accident and Emergency (A&E) services, long ambulance waiting times, and tragic deaths.

The NHS announced A&E departments are struggling to accommodate patients as flu cases rose 47% during the first week of 2023.

Another striking number is the waiting list for treatment which is among British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledges to resolve. Reportedly, there are more than 7 million people currently on the list.

Additionally, nurses will begin a two-day strike on Jan. 18. Days later, nearly 25,000 ambulance workers will walk out due to an ongoing dispute concerning pay.

- Switzerland

The Swiss health association warned on Jan. 9 of a crisis in emergency rooms after the overnight closure of the emergency room at Martigny Hospital.

"This is only the beginning," said Vincent Ribordy, co-president of the Swiss Society of Emergency Medicine, warning of a profound crisis.

He added that the closure of the emergency department shows a widespread problem in the country.

The decision to close the department is a result of the lack of qualified personnel which is "a problem that has been known for several years," he said in an interview.

- Germany

The EU's largest economy is also grappling with a shortage of drugs as a result of "serious bottlenecks in supply chains and delays in delivery schedules."

According to the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO), drugs for breast cancer are increasingly becoming scarce because of delivery bottlenecks.

Germans also face a shortage of certain fever juices or antibiotics as those are hardly available in pharmacies.

Health officials warned last month of a wave of acute respiratory illnesses that are "pushing the German health care system to its limits."

"We are currently facing all areas of health care reaching their limits," Gerald Gass, head of the board of the German Hospital Association (DKG), told reporters last month.

Like many other countries, a rise in infections at the beginning of winter, caused intensive care units to struggle under the burden.

- Spain

Like the UK, Spain is a country where patients have to wait days to be admitted to hospitals.

Emergency rooms are overflowing, according to reports on Jan. 11.

Health Minister Carolina Darias called the current condition a "post-pandemic situation" and urged regional governments to turn to "dialogue" with health care staff to solve an ongoing strike issue.

In October, doctors in different regions called for a strike during the first months of 2023 because of working conditions.

According to reports, Spain needs 30,000 doctors and 130,000 nurses to provide timely care.

Due to staff shortages, problems are getting more serious in primary care and emergency rooms as waiting lists get longer.

- Austria

A surge in RSV and COVID cases has increased pressure on the health system.

On Jan. 9, it was reported that two children, who did not suffer from previous illnesses, died from the flu at Kepler University Hospital in Linz.

The hospital, where a large number of children and young people are currently being treated for the flu, said the occupancy rate has risen and some patients are treated in ICUs.

- Denmark

The Nordic country faces a "triple epidemic" as the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 are rising at the same time.

Around 1,400 people died during the last week of 2022, at least 30% higher than estimates, according to the country’s infectious diseases agency.

The Statens Serum Institut said the "triple epidemic" particularly affects the elderly population.

- Belgium

The national public health institute, Sciensano, officially declared a "flu epidemic" on Jan. 4 with cases surging to similar levels as COVID-19.

"The flu has already been back for some time in our country, but now all the criteria are met to be able to talk about a flu epidemic," it said.

The country is struggling with winter viruses as more than one in five patients who visited a primary care physician for flu-like symptoms tested positive for influenza, according to reports.

In its latest weekly COVID report, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said there is still considerable COVID-19 activity in hospitals in some countries.

"It may take some more time before the impact of increased exposure of vulnerable groups to respiratory viruses (due to increased inter-generational mixing during the holiday season) becomes visible," it said.