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The Prague Declaration

ESE and the European endocrine community call on policymakers and healthcare leaders to act on the findings and recommendations set out in Endocrine Workforce 2026 – Recommendations for a Healthier  Endocrine Future to ensure a resilient and future-proof endocrine workforce.

Read the Prague Declaration

A call for policy action from Europe's endocrine community

Read the White Paper

An analysis of the State of Endocrinology survey findings and recommendations for a sustainable endocrine workforce in Europe

Demand for endocrine care is increasing. Can the workforce keep up?

Findings from ESE’s State of Endocrinology surveys reveal a workforce under growing strain. Without action, it will become harder to recruit and retain specialists, waiting times will increase and there will be less capacity for the research that could improve patient care.

The Prague Declaration calls on policymakers and healthcare leaders to take action in five priority areas. These recommendations were presented to national endocrine societies and key partners at ESE’s Summit of the Presidents in Prague in May 2026, ahead of the European Congress of Endocrinology 2026.

The Declaration is endorsed by 46 national societies and three specialist societies, demonstrating the shared commitment of Europe’s endocrine community to building a sustainable workforce for the future.

The accompanying White Paper sets out the full findings and the endocrine community’s recommendations in more detail.

Why action is needed

  • Demand for endocrine care is expected to rise. Many services are already struggling to meet demand and 21 of 36 national endocrine societies expect this to worsen.
  • Workforce capacity varies widely across Europe. The number of endocrinologists ranges from 0.9 to 11.7 per 100,000 population, reflecting differences in how endocrine and metabolic care is delivered in different countries.
  • Patients face long waits for specialist care. More than 70% of endocrinologists report waits of at least 15 days for new patients.
  • Work-related stress and burnout are widespread, affecting 67.5% of physicians and 72.6% of nurses working in endocrine care.
  • Retention is becoming a major challenge. More than a third (35.2%) of early-career endocrine physicians may leave their job within five years in search of a better work-life balance, higher income and greater job security.
  • Research capacity is under pressure, with 41% of respondents saying they do not have enough time for research.

See the detailed findings in Endocrine Workforce 2026 – Recommendations for a Healthier  Endocrine Future.

We call for action in five priority areas

European institutions, national governments, healthcare organisations and medical societies must act now to enable the endocrine workforce to deliver safe, equitable and high-quality care. This should include the following:

  1. More proactive and detailed workforce planning is required to meet future healthcare needs in prevalent endocrine and metabolic diseases and complex rare diseases.
  2. Prevention, early detection, shared care protocols and new working methods (including artificial intelligence (AI), remote disease monitoring and future technologies) should be promoted to alleviate the burden of providing more costly and specialised healthcare in the context of growing demand.
  3. Working conditions and workplace policies should support flexible careers and wellbeing and ensure that early-career healthcare professionals feel sufficiently supported.
  4. Time, funding and skills dedicated to research must be preserved and enhanced as a critical investment in future healthcare.
  5. The principle of workforce mobility across Europe only works to the benefit of all if it is accompanied by standardised education and training across countries in Europe and beyond.
Help turn the recommendations into action

Useful links and resources to help national endocrine societies and others share the findings and advocate for action on the endocrine workforce. If you have any questions about these materials, please contact the ESE Media Team.

(Coming soon)

Here is a template press release for you to adapt to suit your own organisation and the local and national media outlets that will find it relevant.

Remember to change or delete the text highlighted in yellow!

Template press release

Download these graphics to use in presentations, on social media or in other communication activities to help share the findings and recommendations:

An easy way to amplify information about the Prague Declaration and survey findings is to follow ESE on social media and share our posts, adding your own reflections. Tag us and we'll share your posts.

LinkedIn: European Society of Endocrinology

X: @‌ESEndocrinology

Facebook: European Society of Endocrinology 

Bluesky: @‌esendocrinology.bsk.social

About the State of Endocrinology surveys

Between November 2025 and January 2026, ESE conducted the first comprehensive assessment of the endocrine workforce in Europe. The State of Endocrinology surveys captured the experiences and expectations of:

  • Around 2,200 healthcare professionals and researchers
  • More than 200 nurses
  • 36 national endocrine societies
  • Respondents in 33 countries

The surveys examined current workforce capacity, future demand, working conditions, career development, research, education and training. The findings were reviewed by expert working groups and used to develop practical recommendations for policymakers, healthcare leaders and professional societies.

In alphabetical order: 

  • Wiebke Arlt
  • Anastasia Athanasoulia-Kaspar
  • Jérôme Bertherat
  • Kirsten Davidse
  • Dirk De Rijdt
  • Trine Finnes
  • Charlotte Höybye
  • Juan Manuel Jimenez Vacas
  • Anton Luger
  • Srdan Pandurevic
  • Kristina Saravinovska
  • Josanne Vassallo

In alphabetical order: 

  • Gianluca Aimaretti
  • Anne Bachelot
  • Corin Badiu
  • Julia Beck
  • Betina Biagetti
  • Mustafa Cesur
  • Aldons Carlo Chua
  • Dzenana Cuturic Halilovic
  • Grigoris Effraimidis
  • Daniela Esposito
  • Diego Ferone
  • Ashley Grossman
  • Kristina Isand
  • Sander Kooijman
  • Marta Korbonits
  • Beata Kos-Kudla
  • Ljiljana Marina
  • Niina Matikainen
  • Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch
  • Juraj Payer
  • Alessandro Prete
  • Gérald Raverot
  • Patrice Rodien
  • Antoan Sojat
  • Jan Tuckermann
  • Eugenia Vlachou
  • Liesbeth Winter
  • Miloš Žarković
Catch up on the Special Session at ECE 2026

This session, which took place during ECE 2026, is a chance to learn about the State of Endocrinology survey results and recommendations developed by experts from across Europe, including representatives from national societies, European Women in Endocrinology (EUWIN), early career endocrinologists and the nurse committee.

The recording is available to watch now.

Latest policy activities

ESE acts as the voice of its members on the issues that matter to them. We actively engage in advocacy, encouraging government organisations to better support the needs of our members.

See the latest developments in our work to advocate for endocrinology including position statements, press releases and events.