A new bill expected to be submitted in early April will create a special nursing cadre with a dedicated salary scale and recruitment outside the standard civil service examination system (ASEP). The aim is to remove nurses from the unified public-sector pay scale, thereby increasing their salaries and improving incentives to fill critical vacancies across Greece’s National Healthcare System (ESY).
Low Wages and High Workload
According to recent data released by the Panhellenic Federation of Employees in Public Hospitals (POEDIN), the starting monthly salary for a university-educated nurse is just €836. A secondary-educated nursing assistant earns €736, and an emergency medical technician €687. Even with three public holidays, seven night shifts, and seven afternoon shifts per month—bringing additional compensation of €100–€150—the total monthly income rarely exceeds €986.
These figures are widely considered inadequate given the demanding nature of nursing work and the high level of responsibility involved in hospital settings. POEDIN notes that in other European Union countries, extra shift allowances alone often exceed €500 per month. In Cyprus, for example, the average monthly salary for a nurse reaches €3,000—a figure recently cited by POEDIN President Michalis Giannakos.
Staff Shortages and Systemic Delays
The ESY is currently grappling with severe staffing shortages, leading to closed ICU beds and operating rooms. Many nurses are leaving the public health system altogether—either to become school nurses or to work in the private sector. Meanwhile, job announcements for vacant positions frequently attract no qualified applicants, POEDIN adds.
Eurostat data shows Greece has the second-lowest nurse-to-population ratio in the EU: 219 nurses per 100,000 residents. Only Romania ranks lower, at 100.5 per 100,000. Croatia is the only other EU country below 400 per 100,000; most others—including Germany and Finland—exceed 1,000.
Faster Hiring Through Special Provisions
Under current ASEP procedures, it can take up to three years to appoint a newly hired nurse to a hospital post—a delay deemed unacceptable. The new bill proposes bypassing this process entirely. Recruitment would instead follow special provisions, possibly through existing hiring committees within the Health Regions (YPE), which already handle physician appointments.
The provision establishing the special nursing cadre is being drafted by Lillian Vilidiridi, General Secretary of Health Services.