The vast majority of Europe’s private hospitals are capable and willing to play a greater role in public health issues, particularly in prevention and patient screening. The shortage of healthcare professionals is seen as the main obstacle to the sector’s activity. These are some of the key findings of a survey conducted by the European Union of Private Hospitals, which involved participation from 13 countries*.
The online survey, titled “One Minute Survey,” was carried out from 23.04.2025 to 13.05.2025 and targeted the executives of all member organizations of the European Union of Private Hospitals that represent the private healthcare sector.
One of the survey’s goals was to identify the main concerns of the sector. The most pressing issue, highlighted by 45% of respondents, is the shortage of healthcare professionals. Other top concerns include the discrimination felt by private providers from national health authorities and challenges in working with insurance companies.
It is also important to note that for most private hospitals in Europe (60%), the relationship with their respective governments (and ministries) is insufficient to ensure complementarity within healthcare systems and to guarantee patients’ access to the care they need.
Furthermore, the vast majority of European private hospitals (70%) believe they can expand their role in public health prevention, and 63% say they could contribute more actively to disease screening. For 23% of respondents, vaccination is another area where private healthcare providers could play a greater role.
Finally, 62% of respondents report that they are not involved in the implementation process of the EHDS (European Health Data Space).
These findings highlight the urgent need for closer collaboration between public authorities and private healthcare providers to ensure a more resilient and accessible healthcare system across Europe.
UEHP represents 13 National associations in Europe, 16 countries and more than 6.000 private hospitals and clinics
* Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain
