What you're talking about is not some ideal state that we currently exist in where demographic trends aren't resulting in impairment of healthcare delivery (which is a fundamental human right). What you are talking about is the first part of the death by a thousand cuts which is demographic decline and failed service delivery which will only be exacerbated over the coming years as the impact of an ageing and reduced taxpayer, below-subsistence population replacement kicks in.

The fact is, and remains, that the 'right' thing to do is to ensure adequate service provision and that the 50 or 60 or 70 or 80 year old who needs a hip replacement, or aortic valve replacement, or high level care nursing home, actually receives it. But the powers that be, even now, are able to reduce the current impact to healthcare budgets (and thus government expenditure) by pushing waiting lists out to such an extent that people are rendered basically invalid by the wait times, and die on them.

It's not just europe, it's basically the rule in the US (unless you are independently wealthy or have a decent healthcare plan), and it will only get worse unless people unzip their trousers and make the beast that has two backs.

Or, we decide collectively that the attempt at death by a thousand cuts is not in any way acceptable. Which is hard because the insidious nature of death by a thousand cuts is (to absolutely mix metaphors) that you don't notice the temperature rising until you are parboiled.