Feasibility study on EU-level health workforce planning
The CfWI has been working in collaboration with Matrix Insight Ltd since August 2011 on a public health feasibility study for the European Commission: EU level collaboration on forecasting health workforce needs, workforce planning and health workforce trends. The study has now been published and is available to download from the European Commission website.
The main objective of the study was to identify EU-level actions that could support Member States in assessing, forecasting and planning their health workforce needs, and in doing so ensure the sustainability of their health system. The study draws upon 34 country profiles, 12 case studies and a focus discussion with an expert panel.
The results of the study underpin the EU Member States in the preparatory and delivery phase of the EU Joint Action on Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting. In addition, the study aims to support the European Commission in the drafting of an action plan to address the gap in the supply of health workers in the context of:
- healthcare systems across Europe facing major challenges
- changes in the demand for healthcare accentuating the need for a flexible and responsive health workforce
- different European countries facing widely different health workforce supply challenges.
Health workforce planning is one of the most important challenges facing politicians and policymakers in Europe over the next decades. In a period of increasing financial challenge there will be multiple demographic and technological developments that will need to be accounted for in helping to establish an affordable and sustainable health system that fully meets the needs of a diverse population.
The study concludes that the role of health workforce planning will be an important one, and the opportunity provided by a Joint Action programme focused on developing common understanding of monitoring, analysis and strategy has the potential to provide a valuable development platform for the future.
For further details visit the European Commission website where you can download the executive summary and final report.