And with a study stamp the lack of nurses in Cyprus and even without taking into account in the calculation the needs arising from the implementation of two very important legislation for the health sector concerning the provision of palliative care and the provision of home nursing care services to chronic, bedridden and elderly patients.
The study prepared by Professor Yiannis Yfantopoulos on behalf of the Ministry of Health, is now in the hands of MPs. According to this, but also the update of the data that followed, the current needs for nurses reach 586 while a deficit of 411 nurses is estimated for 2030 as well.
Specifically, in 2025 there were 6,272 nurses available in Cyprus with the expected demand being 6,858 nurses and a consequent shortage of 586 nurses.
In 2030, according to the data, there will be 7,158 nurses available with the estimated needs reaching 7,569 nurses.
The ratio of needs/available nurses will start to have a positive sign from 2035 onwards when it is estimated that there will be 8,263 nurses available and the needs will require 7,818 with the same trend to be calculated until 2055 when and if the data are verified there will be a surplus of 2,678 nurses.
Specifically, the needs are recorded in two stages. For the purposes of the study, the needs of new hospitals that had obtained an operating license until the start of the study, the needs of new hospitals that had secured a license to establish but not an operating license and the current needs of state structures (hospitals, health centers, etc.) were initially taken into account in the calculation.
Based on these parameters, the deficit was 369 nurses for 2025 and 187 nurses for 2030.
In the second stage, the needs arising from the adoption of the law for the operation of rehabilitation centers and for the strengthening of the staffing of state structures (OKYPY) were added to the calculation.
Based on the second, updated, calculation, included in the note of the Ministry of Health, the needs rose to 586 nurses for the five-year period 2025-2030 and to 411 nurses for the years 2030-2035.
An important fact for the current five-year period, of course, is the fact that a few hundred more professionals must be added to the 586 nurses since, as the Ministry of Health points out in its note to the Parliament, the needs arising from the implementation of the law concerning community nursing (which is mostly provided by nurses) and the law on palliative care, for the provision of which participation is required, were not taken into account a large number of nurses.
Below the EU average
As Professor Yfantopoulos states in his report, citing data from the European Statistical Service, "over time, Cyprus has lagged relatively behind the European average in terms of the adequacy of nursing staff".
After "comparative evaluation of the number of nurses per 100,000 inhabitants with other countries, using data from the relevant Eurostat 2023 study and adjusting the data in the graphs so as to include calculations for 2025 for Cyprus, that Cyprus has a comparatively low concentration of nurses per population unit for general nursing nurses while it is in a better position in the case of midwives".
Furthermore, "the distribution of human resources between sectors is also a cause for concern, as doctors are mainly employed in the private sector while nurses are mainly concentrated in the public sector".
"The distribution of nursing staff between the public and private sectors remains uneven, although it shows a mild convergence trend in the period 2021-2025:
· Public and wider public sector 60%-67%.
· Private sector 33%-40%".
"The current picture of the nursing staff is characterized by a significant shortage of nurses compared to the EU average. Cyprus has 5.3 nurses per 1000 inhabitants while the EU average is 8.5 nurses per 1000 inhabitants. In Finland, Germany and Ireland the corresponding indicator is 12 nurses per 1000 inhabitants. This means that Cyprus has about 29% fewer nurses than these countries."
The general conclusions of the study state that "a long-term balancing of the supply and demand of nursing staff in Cyprus is feasible".
"The problem is not only quantitative but also qualitative. It is about the allocation of skills, the aging of staff and the effectiveness of the governance of the system."
What the Greek expert suggests
In his recommendations to the Ministry of Health, Professor Yfantopoulos emphasizes that no measure can work on its own, underlining that a series of actions are needed, including proper surveillance and monitoring of data.
Specifically, among other things, it suggests:
· Strengthening the supply of nurses with an increase in teaching positions, scholarships and financial incentives, strengthening of the educational infrastructure.
· Staff retention with improved earnings, improved working conditions, reduction of burnout.
· Attract nurses from abroad and effectively manage staff inflows and outflows.
· Upgrading skills with the development of advanced nursing roles and expanding responsibilities and utilizing specialization.
· Governance and technology with the creation of systematic monitoring, digital monitoring tools, telehealth and electronic support systems.
"No single intervention is enough. A combination of measures is required and that will be adapted to the particularities of Cyprus."
"Inaction is not an option"
Concluding his report, the professor emphasizes that: "The assessment of the risk of non-intervention highlights that inaction is not a neutral option. In an environment where demand becomes more complex, non-adaptation leads to a gradual deterioration of operational capacity, increased quality and safety pressure, a redistribution of burdens between levels and sectors, and a multiplication of requirements for crisis management instead of planning."
The risk, he points out, "is not just about numbers but about the ability of the system to operate predictably, fairly and consistently. The planning of nursing human resources in Cyprus should be seen as a mechanism for governing the capacity of the health system. The transition from diagnosis to governance is not an additional step, it is the point where identified pressures are transformed into targeted time-staggered options that can be implemented, monitored and adjusted so that the country maintains its operational capacity in the face of predictable but strong changes in demand and the supply framework."
OEB: The time for decisions for nurses
The Federation of Employers and Industrialists is calling for immediate interventions to address the shortage of nursing staff, on the occasion of the findings of the study by Dr. Yiannis Yfantopoulos. According to OEB, the data confirm that Cyprus currently needs about 600 additional nurses, while the needs continue to increase, burdening patients and affecting the quality of health services.
The Federation recognizes the usefulness of the incentives announced for attracting students to Nursing, but points out that their results will be seen in four to five years. Therefore, it considers that these measures do not meet the immediate staffing needs and calls on the Government and the Parliament to proceed without further delay in decision-making.
OEB states that it has already submitted proposals to alleviate the problem and argues that, after the findings of the new study, there is no longer room for postponement. It calls for the implementation of immediate and effective solutions, posing the question of how many more studies will be needed before the State moves from identifying the problem into practice.
