Hospitals and healthcare services have an important function in the society and their role evolved due either to the changes affecting the environment and the reforms of the healthcare systems. Health workforce represents a crucial component for the hospital and healthcare activity and, for this reason it raised interest in the debate at the European level. HOPE deals with this topic in several ways for many years?
In May 2004, HOPE published in the framework of its working group related to health workforce issues a report “The Healthcare Workforce in Europe: Problems and Solutions”. The aim of the initial survey was to collect and analyze information on the health professional workforce (covering doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health professions) in HOPE member countries, and observer countries. The purpose was also to assess the implications for the workforce of demographic trends and other factors, including implementation of the European Working Time Directive for junior doctors and the draft directive on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and to identify strategies currently being pursued to tackling labor shortages and the scope for more coordinated approaches. Since then, HOPE committed itself in various activities related to health workforce issues: new roles and new skills; professional mobility; working time directive and social dialogue.
In 2009, the topic of the HOPE Agora closing the HOPE Exchange Programme was “New roles and new skills for Health Professionals” which results and findings were gathered in a report.
From 2013 to 2016, HOPE joined the Joint Action on European Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting as associated partner. The project, co-funded by the European Commission, aimed at creating a platform for collaboration and exchange between Member States, and at preparing the future of the health workforce. This platform supported Member States in taking effective and sustainable measures in view of the expected shortage in the health workforce at European and national level.
In February 2023, a new Joint Action entitled HEROES (HEalth woRkfOrce to meet health challEngeS) kicked off. This Joint Action continues the work of the JA Health Workforce and aims to improve the health workforce planning capacities to ensure accessibility, sustainability, and resilience of healthcare services. HOPE is among its stakeholders.
The theme of the HOPE Agora 2023 will be “Keeping our health workforce”, dealing with the attractivity and the retention of the healthcare workforce.
EU Projects
JAHWF
Joint Action on European Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting
RN4CAST
Registered Nurse Forecasting Study