nurse shortage — Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides is urgently seeking proposals to tackle the pressing issue of nurse shortages across Cyprus. Stakeholders have been given one week to submit their recommendations, with a follow-up meeting scheduled in a month to evaluate the submissions and agree on immediate measures.
During his visit to Limassol general hospital on Monday, Charalambides expressed the need for solutions that are both rapid and widely accepted. He acknowledged the nursing shortage as “a global phenomenon” and noted that while the number of nursing students in Cyprus has increased by 85 per cent over the past three years, existing incentives are still lacking.
The minister’s broader objective is to implement practical improvements that will benefit both patients and staff by the first quarter of 2026. This initiative comes in response to growing criticism from nursing and midwifery unions, who argue that the current service disruptions are not solely due to staff shortages.
Unions such as Pasynm, Peo, and Pasydy have highlighted management failures and inadequate planning as the root causes of the crisis. They contend it is unclear whether the reported shortages pertain to newly opened facilities or expansions of existing ones. The unions warn that the rapid increase in hospital beds under the national health service has not been met with adequate workforce planning.
As a result, patients are experiencing longer waiting lists, postponed procedures, and a frequent reliance on sick leave, all signs of systemic strain within the healthcare system. Tensions have escalated following a notice issued by the health ministry in November to a private hospital in Nicosia regarding insufficient nursing cover in two departments. The hospital was given 15 days to respond to the proposed suspension of its operating licence.
In light of the ongoing challenges, unions have voiced their opposition to proposals by employer groups to recruit nurses from third countries. Concerns have been raised about pay, working conditions, language proficiency, and ultimately patient safety. The unions argue that the issues around recruitment and retention are strongly linked to salaries and employment terms, as they continue to witness staff movement between public and private hospitals.
Official figures indicate that there are currently 157 vacant nursing posts in state hospitals, while 153 nurses are on sick or maternity leave. Union representatives have issued a stark warning that failure to address both planning and staffing issues could lead to industrial action, further complicating an already strained healthcare system.
