Burnout, chronic stress and staff shortages continue to threaten the wellbeing and retention of Europe's healthcare workforce. A new opinion paper from the KEEPCARING project brings together frontline insights and outlines emerging, co-created solutions.

The paper draws on the experiences of clinicians across the consortium's hospital partners, mapping individual, team and organisational stressors — with a particular focus on surgical pathways.

Key takeaways

  • Burnout is a systemic problem that needs solutions at every level.
  • Co-creation with frontline staff is essential for adoption.
  • Digital and AI-driven tools must complement, not replace, human support.