Issue 4 - September 2014

EDITORIAL

Dear subscriber subscriber,

In this newsletter, you can find HOSPEEM News, News from the Members, EU News, upcoming events and recent publications. The HOSPEEM newsletter is a platform for members to exchange information and you are invited to send your contributions for the future issues. 

I am very pleased to inform you that HOSPEEM and EPSU have been provided support by the EC for a joint project aimed at implementing one of the two main priorities of the  work-programme 2014-2016 of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee of the Hospital Sector, i.e. the promotion of occupational safety and health. In this area “psychosocial risks and stress at work” and “musculoskeletal disorders” are the two main focal topics identified.  The project will strengthen the role of European social partners in the hospital sector and will help create a common understanding of the situation and a common reflection. This project will also contribute to the enhancement of awareness amongst employers and workers on the importance of a risk assessment with regard to prevention and risk reduction. Member's suggestions regarding potential speakers for conferences or research organisations likely to apply for the upcoming call for tender will be very much appreciated in the next months. 

The project will run until March 2016 and the HOSPEEM Secretariat is looking forward to collaborating with HOSPEEM French member FEHAP to co-organise the first conference on musculoskeletal disorders in spring 2015. The project results will be disseminated within the EU Member States and towards the EU level and will be used as input for the EPSU/HOSPEEM workprogramme. 

Enjoy your reading!

Tjitte Alkema

Secretary General of HOSPEEM

HOSPEEM NEWS

Upcoming HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee

HOSPEEM members are invited to the HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector (SSDC HS) on 1st October in Brussels. The meeting will be mainly dedicated to the topic “recruitment and retention” and specifically to the follow-up to the HOSPEEM-EPSU Framework of Actions “Recruitment and retention” signed in by HOSPEEM and EPSU in 2010.

HOSPEEM and EPSU members are invited to prepare for the meeting where they will be asked to report about and discuss existing strategies or measures of recruitment and retention of healthcare staff as they exist in their country (as part of government policy, legislation, initiatives dealt with in collective agreements or  agreed by social partners, management policies, studies, reports etc.), and this on the broad range of issues covered by the agreement.

HOSPEEM and EPSU are also interested in hearing what kind of problems and challenges their members encounter in their respective countries and possibly the solutions under discussion or being implemented.

HOSPEEM Members invited to identify a correspondent

The correspondents from HOSPEEM member's organizations will share with the HOSPEEM Secretariat information on healthcare sector industrial relations in their countries. The typical correspondent works in PR or in communications but could be also a researcher, a legal officer or any relevant resource person involved in the field of industrial relations. HOSPEEM Members are invited to identify a correspondent and send the contact to c.barlet@hospeem.eu

Working Time Directive 2003/88/EC

The European Commission is obliged to produce a report on the practical implementation of the Directive every five years under Art.24(2) of the WTD. As EU sectoral social partner, HOSPEEM has been invited to respond to a questionnaire. The replies to the questionnaire have to be sent to DG Employment by 4 November. The HOSPEEM Secretariat asks HOSPEEM members to send replies/contributions by mid-October at the latest (email sent on 1 August). Contact: e.benedetti@hospeem.eu

HOSPEEM-EPSU code of conduct in 13 languages 

The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM) have jointly signed a code of conduct on ethical cross-border recruitment and retention in 2008. The code of conduct was translated in 13 languages and has 12 key principles. You can find all the relevant information about its follow-up and useful links to the World Health Organisation code of practice on the specific page of the HOSPEEM website. Read more.

NEWS FROM MEMBERS

EU NEWS

Composition and shape of the new Commission 

President-elect Juncker unveiled his team and the new shape of the next European Commission. If confirmed by the Parliament vote in October, the new Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility will be the Belgian Marianne Thyssen, member of the European Parliament for the European People's Party. The Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue will be the former Prime Minister of Latvia, Valdis Dombrovskis. The new Commissioner for Health and Food Safety will be the Lithuanian Minister of Health Vytenis Andriukaitis. 

Commissioners-designate will face this week a thorough scrutiny by MEPs before the new European Commission can start its five-year term on 1 November. The idea behind the hearings is to assess each candidate’s competence on the portfolio they have been assigned. More info on timeline and questions. 

EC Public consultation on the future EU Agenda on quality of health care

The European Commission and the Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health (EXPH) have launched a public consultation on the preliminary opinion on the ‘Future EU Agenda on quality of health care with a special emphasis on patient safety. In their preliminary opinion, the EXPH highlight a subset of indicators potentially suitable to quantify core dimensions of quality/safety necessary for assessing the quality and safety of health care in the EU. Read more.

EC Public consultation on Potential Health Effects of Nanomaterials Used in Medical Devices’.

The European Commission and its non-food Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), have launched a public consultation on the preliminary opinion ‘Guidance on the Determination of Potential Health Effects of Nanomaterials Used in Medical Devices’. The consultation will run until 03 October 2014. Interested parties are invited to provide comments online. Read more.

Final report of EU project establishing a network of nurse educators and regulators

The three year project "Development and Coordination of a Network of Nurse Educators and Regulators" (SANCO/1/2009) has come to an end. The final report of the project gives an overview of the similarities and differences of Healthcare Assistant education and training within the 15 participating countries and provides recommendations on training requirements and educational support. Read more. 

Evaluation of the EC Programme for Employment and Solidarity (PROGRESS) 2007-2013

The European Commission has published today the external ex-post evaluation report of the Programme for Employment and Solidarity (PROGRESS) 2007-2013. This report looks at how PROGRESS influenced the quality of EU policies and laws and provides recommendations to support the launch of the new 2014-2020 Programmes for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) and Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC). 

EVENTS

SAVE the DATE ! HOSPEEM–EPSU and HOSPEEM events for members only :

01/10/2014: HOSPEEM – EPSU SSDC HS* Working Group 3/2014

09/12/2014: HOSPEEM Administration Council/General Assembly 

10/12/2014: HOSPEEM – EPSU SSDC HS* Plenary Meeting

* Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Hospital Sector (SSDC HS) 

Other :

16/10/2014: EULAR “Analysing how to reduce access barriers to health care for people with chronic diseases. Challenges, good practices and policy options for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs)”, Brussels, Belgium. 

29/10/2014: CEEP CSR: Awarding Ceremony, Milano, Italy. To register for this conference, please contact the HOSPEEM Secretariat. 

04-05/12/2014: EU Joint Action Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting Conference, with special support of the Italian Presidency 2014, Rome, Italy. 

PUBLICATIONS

Eurofound yearbook 2013: Living and working in Europe

Eurofound’s fifth annual yearbook, Living and working in Europe, based on the Agency’s research from 2013, describes developments in the EU in the wake of the crisis, focusing on major topic areas including changes in labour markets and employment, efforts to tackle youth unemployment, innovation in workplaces and public trust in institutions. Read more.

Eurofound Foundation Findings: Work preferences after 50

The focus of this policy brief is the weekly working time preferences of people aged 50 and over. This policy brief highlights findings on a specific topic from Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) that is of particular interest from a policy perspective. Read more.