The Belgian EU presidency is working to put a basis for a future EU well being workforce technique and goals to ramp up motion, in distinction to the restricted Council conclusions on the identical matter in 2010.

The issues going through the EU’s well being workforce are excessive on the Belgian presidency’s agenda, a part of which is paving the best way for an EU well being workforce technique.

“[A challenge] that always comes back around is the health workforce. It’s not an easy topic because it’s multifactorial, but it’s clear that everyone is dealing and struggling with some challenges related to the health workforce,” Pedro Facon, liable for well being workforce within the Belgian presidency and vp of the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance, informed Euractiv.

The European Commission concluded in its State of Health in the EU report from December 2023 that each single EU nation faces well being workforce issues.

Issues span from the ageing well being workforce to issues with educating, recruiting, retaining and re-skilling well being staff.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the workforce crisis consists of many particular person crises, together with labour, psychological well being, training, gender equality and lack of economic investments.

In 2010, over the last Belgian Council presidency, Council conclusions about “investing in Europe’s health workforce of tomorrow” had been adopted. Fourteen years and one pandemic later, extra EU-level motion might be on the horizon.

EU’s health workforce ‘without a doubt’ worse off than before COVID-19

Health staff throughout the EU are burning out and leaving their professions following years of inaction to deal with the dire scenario. Following the Belgian presidency’s announcement of a possible EU well being workforce technique, two stakeholders and an analyst pinpoint what’s most pressing at EU degree.

Building as much as the following mandate

“What we would like to have as a conclusion is that the EU ministers of health agree that we really need an explicit, comprehensive health workforce strategy that is not standing alone,” Facon defined.

“It needs to be complementary with the national policies and also with some WHO and OECD policy initiatives. We really want the next Commission to develop an EU health workforce strategy,” he added, explaining that this already goes additional than the 2010 conclusions.

The work is already underway, and the following main step on the agenda is the conference about the future of the EU Health Union on 26–27 March, the place a workshop involving politicians, stakeholders, and well being specialists will talk about “what we could do to set up a better policy approach at the EU level for the health workforce”.

This will inform the dialogue at an informal meeting of health ministers on 23-24 April and, if the Belgian presidency succeeds, end in conclusions by the EU well being ministers at a formal meeting (EPSCO) on 21 June.

Also on the playing cards is an in-depth evaluation of the EU-level regulatory framework, which impacts the EU nations’ well being workforce. That consists of the directives on skilled {qualifications}, proportionality, cross-border healthcare, and e-commerce.

“We would like to do an evaluation of what their impact is – both positive and negative on the challenges we see at national level,” Facon defined, calling this deeper evaluation into the regulatory framework and coverage devices “an important outcome of the Belgian presidency.”

Doing higher than final time

In an interview with Euractiv final month, Paul De Raeve, secretary-general of the European Federation of Nurses, said {that a} potential EU well being workforce technique would wish extra “flesh on the bones” than the 2010 Council conclusions to make any distinction. Facon agreed that the wording again then was not sturdy.

“If you read that text, it’s a lot about exchanging good practices, raising awareness, and stimulating learning. So this is quite soft. I think that was also probably the highest attainable result at that moment,” Facon stated.

One concrete motion to return out of these conclusions, he stated, was a joint motion amongst member states to forecast well being workforce wants and well being workforce planning.

However, this time it’s totally different, Facon insisted, as a “comprehensive EU strategy” and the highlight on EU coverage and devices will end in extra “concrete action.”

Commenting on the criticism that nations lack willingness to spend money on the healthcare workforce, Facon stated he typically disagreed with such a press release, mentioning efforts in Belgium to fund wage will increase.

“I can take the remark that we need to step up our actions and that we need to continue to invest in the health workforce. We should do that. (…) . But on the other hand, I also ask for a positive and open for reform mentality on the side of the professional associations, because we need their support to make some shifts in the organisation models.”

On the opposite, he argues that member states are very eager on discovering options – even on the EU-level, the place nations have historically been reluctant to any well being actions that might threaten their nationwide competencies. However, this development has seen a change for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just like we have an EU beating cancer plan, where in fact a lot of the competencies are at national level, we would like to have a [similar] approach at the European level for health workforce,” Facon stated.

There are loads of points, he added, the place nations may set frequent targets, together with on employee shortages, working circumstances and psychological well being.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]