This session 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.
Attend in person in Congress Hall or join online via ECE@Home!
Supporting the Endocrine Workforce of the Future
Recommendations from the State of Endocrinology 2026 project
In 2025, the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) launched the State of Endocrinology (SoE) survey, a landmark assessment of the trends and challenges facing the endocrine workforce in Europe. The response was excellent, with around 2,400 health care professionals (HCPs) and researchers, more than 250 nurses and 36 national endocrine societies contributing perspectives.
These surveys looked at how well endocrinology is doing as a professional discipline, what major challenges and bottlenecks endocrinology may face in the future and how well we are prepared for these. In short: how do we see the present and future outlook of our discipline?
Key findings
-
There is worldwide consensus that the prevalence of endocrine diseases will continue to increase, putting a greater demand on the endocrine workforce.
-
There is wide variation in the number of endocrinologists per capita across Europe, ranging from 0.9 to 11.7 per 100,000 population.
-
The endocrine workforce is struggling to meet demand – nearly a quarter of endocrinologists report waiting times of more than 90 days for new patient appointments.
-
The average working week for endocrine healthcare professionals is 44.3 hours, with 35.2% working more than 50 hours per week.
-
Work-related stress and burnout are widespread, reported by 67.5% of physicians and 72.6% of nurses. Only 7.7% say their institution offers stress management support.
-
Retention is a growing concern, as 35.2% of early-career endocrine physicians may leave their job in the next five years in search of a better work-life balance, income and job security.
- Time for research is limited, with 41% of respondents lacking the time to do research, despite the important returns this provides to patients, physicians and society.
Endocrine Workforce 2026 – Recommendations for a healthy endocrine future
More detailed findings will be published in a forthcoming report. This includes practical recommendations to ensure that endocrine patients receive the high-quality specialist care they need and that the endocrine workforce is supported to pursue a career in endocrine care.
These recommendations cover:
-
Recognition of the specific demands of a specialist discipline like endocrinology in healthcare workforce planning.
-
Redesign of healthcare systems with new ways of delivering clinical care to those with endocrine disease.
-
Improvement of working conditions to support flexible careers and wellbeing, and ensure that early career healthcare professionals feel sufficiently supported.
-
Investing in research as a critical component of high-quality care and a thriving workforce.
-
Standardisation of training and education to support ‘fair’ workforce mobility.
Join the ECE Special Session on Monday 11 May – in person at Congress Hall or online via ECE@Home – for a first look at the findings and discussion of what needs to happen for a healthier endocrine future.