HOSPEEM-EPSU Solidarity message with Ukraine employers and trade unions

               

Brussels, 11.03.2022

The social partners involved in the European sectoral social dialogue – Hospital and Healthcare, HOSPEEM and EPSU, strongly deplore and condemn the unprovoked attack of the Russian government on the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Furthermore, we are horrified by the reported attack on a maternity and children hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine on March 9. As of March 10, the WHO has confirmed 25 other attacks¹.  Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure such as hospitals must stop immediately. Furthermore, we are calling on all to respect and protect in all circumstances health facilities, civilian and military medical units in line with International Humanitarian Law. Reiterating the words of the WHO, the social partners stress that health providers must be protected so they are allowed to treat the injured, and to save lives. We express our solidarity with fellow employers, trade unions and workers in the hospital and healthcare sector, who continue to provide medical care to people in Ukraine in the direst circumstances. Our member organisations across Europe are collecting medical equipment and similar resources to support healthcare provision.

¹ https://twitter.com/WHOUkraine/status/1501975933841920011

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Лист солідарності з роботодавцями та профспілками України

 Соціальні партнери, які беруть участь у європейському секторальному соціальному діалозі – Hospital and Healthcare, HOSPEEM і EPSU, висловлюють скорботу і рішуче засуджують безпричинний напад російського уряду на територіальну цілісність України. Крім того, ми в жаху від повідомлення про напад на родинний будинок і на дитячу лікарню в Маріуполі 9 березня. Станом на 10 березня ВООЗ підтвердила ще 25 нападів. Напади на цивільне населення та цивільну інфраструктуру, такі як лікарні, повинні негайно припинитися. Крім того, ми закликаємо всіх поважати і захищати за  будь-яких обставин медичні установи, цивільні та військові медичні формування відповідно до міжнародного гуманітарного права. Повторюючи слова ВООЗ, соціальні партнери підкреслюють, що медичні працівники повинні бути захищені, щоб вони могли лікувати поранених і рятувати життя. Ми висловлюємо солідарність з іншими роботодавцями, профспілками та працівниками лікарень та усіх закладів охорони здоров’я, які продовжують надавати медичну допомогу людям в Україні в складних умовах. Наші організації-члени по всій Європі збирають медичне обладнання та аналогічні ресурси для підтримки надання медичної допомоги.

EPSU also published this message.

HOSPEEM strongly supports the Statement of the EU cross-industry social partners on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association – HOSPEEM strongly supports the Statement of the EU cross-industry social partners in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in support of the conclusions of the special meeting of the European Council of 24 February 2022. Read the Statement released by SGI Europe along with Business Europe, ETUC, SMEunited.

UZS joins HOSPEEM

Union of Employers’ Associations of the Czech Republic has recently joined HOSPEEM as an observer member.

UZS ČR (Unie zaměstnavatelských svazů ČR) UZS ČR  represents 65 employer associations and employers, representing more than 15,860 companies and their 628,000 employees. The mission of the Union is to shape and defend the common interests of its members and to promote them in cooperation with individual ministries and territorial public administration, other employers’ organizations and trade unions.

It is one of the biggest employers’ unions in the Czech Republic and an official comment point for all legislative proposals. Among all the associations of employers, it has a lead position in representing public services and modern energy producers.  In the area of public services it represents sectors of health-care, social care, education, culture, and non-profit organizations. UZS ČR is represented in the Council for Economic and Social Agreement (Tripartite) and in most tripartite work teams in the Czech Republic.

Read more

Unions and Employers discuss European Health Data Space with a representative of the European Commission

On February 3, 2022, EPSU and HOSPEEM jointly organised an online informative session on the European Health Data Space (EHDS), with the purpose of providing a space  for the exchange of information between the European Commission (EC) and social partners in the healthcare sector. The aim of the meeting was to give the EC the platform to introduce the topic and discuss what implications the EHDS will have for health workers and the health sector.

The session started with a brief introduction by Jan-Willem Goudriaan, EPSU General Secretary, who welcomed expert Barbara Susec from ver.di, experts from HOSPEEM. and Hugo van Haastert, of DG Sante. (Unit B.3, European Reference Networks and Digital Health). He presented the initiative and stressed that the framework of the EHDS should serve the public and strengthen the quality of care.

Hugo van Haastert also  explained the legal proposal EC  has been working on and provided  insight into the existing European data infrastructure. He highlighted the role of the EHDS to simplify and connect primary and secondary health data to make them more accessible for workers and patients.

The presentation was followed by a discussion, in which data protection and the importance of equal access to data and digitisation, also via targeted training tools, were highlighted. Participants also emphasised that the role and involvement of health care workers within the framework of the EHDS should be more accentuated.

The session was concluded by Marta Branca, HOSPEEM General Secretary, who stressed the relevance of the informative session in the framework of the the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee and thanked the organisers and participants for their input.

Download the European Commission’s presentation (.pdf)

EPSU also published an article on this topic

Webinar 5: Protection and compensation of victims of violence or harassment

The webinar is the fifth of a series of events as part of our joint project with EPSU, CEMR, CESI, ETUCE, EUPAE, ETF, UITP, and ETNO on the role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at workIt took place on Friday 4 March 2022– 10:00-12:30 CET.

Draft Agenda (As of 11th February)

Presentations

Zoom recording

TPV – Webinar 5: Protection and compensation of victims of violence or harassment, 4 March 2022 – YouTube

Report

Report of the Webinar 5 – 4 March 2022

Interpretation was provided in: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian and Hungarian

EPSU also set up a page with the project-related information.

This project has received financial support from the European Union

Marta Branca elected Secretary General of HOSPEEM

Brussels, 14.12.2021

Marta Branca was reelected Secretary General of HOSPEEM for a mandate period ending in December 2024.

Ms Branca has been involved in HOSPEEM’s activities since 2008 as a member of the Board and General Assembly on behalf of ARAN, Agenzia per la Rappresentanza Negoziale delle Pubbliche Amministrazioni, leading the HOSPEEM Italian Membership in which FIASO and INMI Spallanzani are also currently represented. She has been HOSPEEM Vice-Secretary since 2018.

At European level she is mainly responsible for leading the negotiations with the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) in the framework of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector and for representing HOSPEEM at high level meetings and towards the European institutions and other relevant stakeholders.

At national level Ms Marta Branca is representing ARAN, Agenzia per la Rappresentanza Negoziale delle Pubbliche Amministrazioni.

She has a long experience in the field of social dialogue and collective bargaining in the healthcare sector. She previously worked as Director General at the Italian National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI Spallanzani) and held several managerial positions in local and national health institutions (ASL Roma 3).

“It  is an honour to be re-elected Secretary General of HOSPEEM and  I am very grateful for the support expressed by members across Europe and by our Italian partners, e.g. FIASO – Federazione Italiana Aziende Sanitarie e Ospedaliere.  I look forward to continuing our joint efforts as a strong European employers’ organisation, I am convinced important results are laying ahead of us in the years to come. In my quality as ARAN representative, founder Member of HOSPEEM, I strongly believe in the key role of social dialogue in the health sector at national and EU level. In this period of global emergency due to the pandemic, it is essential for health employers to bring their voice up.”

Marta Branca, HOSPEEM Secretary General, 14.12.2021

Statement on the United Kingdom’s association to Horizon Europe – European Health Stakeholder Group

HOSPEEM stands with colleagues and organisations in the European Union’s research and innovation community in urging the European Commission to formalise the United Kingdom’s association to Horizon Europe without further delay. Several representatives of the European Union’s health community united in a call for the United Kingdom’s association to Horizon Europe to be formalised as soon as possible.

Read the full  Statement on the United Kingdom’s association to Horizon Europe by the European Health Stakeholder Group:

ENFRIT

Webinar 4: Digitalisation and third-party violence and harassment: challenges and risks

The webinar is the fourth of a series of events as part of our joint project with EPSU, CEMR, CESI, ETUCE, EUPAE, ETF, UITP, and ETNO on the role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at workIt took place on Thursday, 16 December 2021 – 10:00-12:30 CET.

The webinar explored the connections between digitalisation and third-party violence and harassment and aims to answer questions, including:

•           Does digitalisation or how it is implemented increase or decrease the risks of TPV?

•           How widespread is cyberviolence/harassment/bullying at work?

The project will examine and discuss the prevalence, causes and impact of third-party violence and harassment at work in the partners’ respective sectors and recent legislative and social partners’ responses to this major health and safety matter of common concern. It will aim to assess the application at the national level of 2010 Multi-sectoral Guidelines to tackle third-party violence and harassment related to work and whether further actions might be needed to make its implementation more effective.

The project will focus on the following sectors: hospitals, prison services, employment services, front line workers in local and regional government, secondary schools, urban public transport as well as telecoms.

Interpretation was be provided to and from English, French, Hungarian, Italian and Spanish.

Agenda and report

Draft agenda (as of 02 December 2021)

Report Webinar 4

Presentations

Recap of Webinar 3 + Update on TPV survey, with a focus on digitalisation – Jane Pillinger, Project Consultant
Digital violence and harassment – Tim Tregenza, Senior Network Manager, EU OSHA
Upgrading protection against cyberbullying – Mathias Wouters, Postdoctoral researcher, KU Leuven

Zoom recording

EPSU also set up a page for this event

*** Back to the Joint Project Page ***

This project has received financial support from the European Union

Webinar on Partnerships in Digital Skills Development

The HOSPEEM Webinar on “Partnerships in Digital Skills Development” took place online on 17 November 2021, gathering around 40 participants from across Europe, including employers’ organisations, EU institutions and other relevant stakeholders such as academia and healthcare professional organisations.

The Webinar focused on how the management processes and the related use of digital tools have been changing and adapting especially during the COVID-19 crisis. It also analysed the impact of these changes on healthcare professionals and patients.

Examples from the HOSPEEM Membership in Italy, Belgium and United Kingdom were showcased and the Flagship Initiative on Digital Skills for the health and care workforce was presented by Ms Raluca Painter, DG Reform, Head of Unit – Labour market, Education, Health and Social services.

HOSPEEM would like to thank the speakers: Stephanie Devisscher, Dominic Cushnan, Mark Halling-Brown, Giovanni Poggialini and Claudio Sorgi for their insightful contributions and extend a special thanks to Rosie Richards, NHS Assistant Director and Expert of the CPD and LLL HOSPEEM Group, who moderated the event.

Draft agenda (as of 16.11.2021)

Presentations and video

Implementing AI in Hospitals and Trusts in England, Dominic Cushnan, NHS AI Lab, NHSX (UK) and Mark Halling-Brown, Royal Surrey County Hospital (UK)

Covid telemonitoring leading to new ways of collaboration between caregivers, Stephanie Devisscher, Zorgnet-Icuro (BE)

The use of robotic technology as a support to hospital wards – Giovanni Poggialini, ASTT dei Sette Laghi, Varese (IT) – (coming soon)

A new perspective on healthcare professionals’ digital skills: The experience of Marche Regions’ Academy / Watch the video, Claudio Sorgi (IT):

Video – Marche Regions’ Academy in Italy

John Delamere nominated Vice-Secretary General of HOSPEEM

Brussels, 08.11.2021

At last week’s HOSPEEM Steering Committee meeting, John Delamere was nominated Vice-Secretary General for HOSPEEM until mid-2022.

He has represented the HSE at Hospeem since 2011.  He has been a member of HOSPEEM’s Steering Group for the past two years and previously chaired the Financial Advisory Committee.

“I believe that Social Dialogue works well in the health sector. However, the employer side agenda requires to be robustly articulated at all times, and this will be a priority of mine as Vice Secretary General. I am also very anxious that HOSPEEM expands its membership base, particularly in areas of Southern and South-Eastern Europe. Other significant issues that require focus are the recruitment and retention of health sector staff across Europe, the ageing workforce and the need for greater harmonisation of professional qualifications. I am also very supportive of the continuing rollout of CPD and LLL for all health service personnel.”

John Delamere, HSE, Ireland