Category: Activities

HOSPEEMNewsActivities
Activities, News Hospeem

2025 : A year of impact

2025 has been a year of impact for HOSPEEM turning priorities into concrete action. HOSPEEM successfully concluded key achievements, included the updated Guidelines on Third-Party Violence and Harassment, the Joint Policy Orientation, and the Joint Work Programme.

2025 has also been a year of transition for HOSPEEM. It is a moment to reflect on the strong foundations built over many years, while ensuring the organisation is ready to respond to the evolving challenges facing Europe’s hospital and healthcare employers. These developments take place at a time of transformation for the healthcare sector, where evolving workforce needs and changing skill requirements are driving new approaches across Europe’s health systems.

Download the 2025 report

All annual HOSPEEM reports available here

Consultations, News Hospeem

HOSPEEM contributes to the public consultation on the right to stay

HOSPEEM has contributed to the call for evidence on the Right to Stay in June 2026. A credible Right to Stay Strategy must balance ambition with realism. Ensuring access to high-quality healthcare does not necessarily mean preserving all existing structures in their current form but rather enabling systems to adapt in ways that safeguard patient safety, improve outcomes and ensure long-term sustainability. HOSPEEM is part of the Freedom to Stay alliance.

Read the post on the EU website

Read the full contribution in pdf

News, Social Dialogue Hospeem

Joint HOSPEEM–EPSU visit with DG EMPL Director-General Mario Nava to UZ Leuven Gasthuisberg

On 27 May, the Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), Mario Nava, visited the university hospital UZ Leuven Gasthuisberg. The visit was facilitated by the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM) and the European Public Service Union (EPSU) in the context of the European sectoral social dialogue in the hospital and healthcare sector.

The programme was organised by UZ Leuven Gasthuisberg, whose teams ensured a comprehensive and insightful visit. HOSPEEM and EPSU would like to express their appreciation to Gasthuisberg, its management, and the HR and communication teams for the excellent preparation and warm welcome, as well as to Zorgnet-Icuro, and to the local trade union representatives from ACV-CSC and BBTK-ABVV, for their contribution to the programme and exchanges.

The visit brought together representatives of the European Commission, social partners and UZ Leuven/KU Leuven for an exchange on the future of healthcare systems and healthcare work.

Discussions focused on social dialogue at hospital level, approaches to addressing labour shortages through recruitment, retention and working conditions, as well as skills development and training as key enablers for sustainable healthcare systems.

Participants also visited key clinical and training areas, including robotic cardiac surgery, the neonatal intensive care unit, and the STEPS skills centre, highlighting how innovation, advanced care delivery and structured skills training are integrated in daily hospital practice.
The visit provided an opportunity for social partners to engage with DG EMPL on shared priorities for the sector, including workforce sustainability, quality jobs, skills portability and the organisation of resilient healthcare services in a context of growing demand across the European Union.

The discussions underlined the importance of continued dialogue between European institutions, social partners and healthcare providers to support strong, resilient and well-functioning healthcare systems across the European Union.

Events, News, Project 2025-2027 on Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-Proofing Skills in Health, Projects Hospeem

HOSPEEM and EPSU host EU workshop in Prague on healthcare workforce challenges

EPSU and HOSPEEM brought together healthcare trade unions, employers, policymakers and experts in Prague on 4-5 June 2026 for the fourth workshop of the EU-funded project “Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-proofing Skills in Health”. The workshop focused on the ageing healthcare workforce and intra-EU mobility.

Participants discussed key challenges facing Europe’s health systems, including ongoing staff shortages, demographic change, evolving skills needs, and the retention of healthcare professionals. The exchanges highlighted a range of experiences and good practices from across Europe, with a focus on strengthening workforce planning, resilience and the sustainability of healthcare services.

The programme included high-level contributions from Adam Vojtěch, Minister of Health, and Dr Ladislav Švec, First Deputy Minister of Health of the Czech Republic, who addressed the future challenges of human resources in healthcare. Ms Yana Andersen from the WHO Regional Office for Europe (Health Workforce and Service Delivery) and Ms Maren Hopfe from the International Labour Organization (ILO), Labour Governance and Sectoral Policies Department presented the state of play on the ageing of the healthcare workforce and the report on Health workforce migration in the WHO European Region.

Presentation by Dr. Ladislav Švec, First Deputy Minister of Health of the Czech Republic

The workshop also brought together representatives from social partner organisations and stakeholders from amongst others Sweden, Finland, Romania, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, who shared national and sectoral perspectives on workforce developments and policy responses.

EPSU and HOSPEEM would like to thank the Confederation of Employers’ and Entrepreneurs’ Associations of the Czech Republic (UZS-CR) and the Trade Union of Health and Social Care Workers of the Czech Republic (OSZSP CR) for their hosting and support in organising the workshop.

Projects Hospeem

Fourth Workshop of the Joint Project “Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-proofing Skills in Health”

HOSPEEM and EPSU invites you to the fourth in-person workshop of the joint project on the topic of Intra-EU mobility and Ageing of the Healthcare Workforce in Prague, Czechia.

This workshop will explore the challenges posed by the ageing healthcare workforce across Europe, including the retirement of a large proportion of experienced healthcare professionals, and discuss practices attracting, retaining, and supporting both senior and younger workers in the sector. It will also examine the impact of intra-EU mobility and migration on healthcare systems, considering factors such as skills development, and ethical recruitment practices. Through discussion and exchange of best practices from EPSU and HOSPEEM member organisations, the workshop aims to identify solutions that strengthen healthcare workforce, support migrant and mobile healthcare workers, and encourage healthcare professionals to remain in or return to their countries of origin.

 

Three o'clock 4 – 5 June 2026 (1,5 days)

PinHotel Olsanka, Táboritská 1000/23, 130 00 Praha 3-Žižkov, Czechia

The reimbursement for the flight and accommodation is available for the EU participants:

  • Please follow this link to calculate eligible travel costs
  • Maximum reimbursement for accommodation – 107 EUR/night (for up to 2 nights)

The interpretation will be provided for English, Czechia and 3 languages to be determined by the number of requests

Please register here

The registration deadline is 20 April 2026

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact o.horlach@hospeem.eu

Events, News, Project 2025-2027 on Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-Proofing Skills in Health, Projects Hospeem

HOSPEEM and EPSU workshop on digitalisation and future-proofing skills in Rome

The EU-funded TaSSEFSH project continued its work on addressing healthcare workforce challenges through a workshop held in Rome, focusing on digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and future-proofing skills in the health sector. The event gathered European and national stakeholders to exchange experiences on how healthcare systems can better respond to evolving workforce demands and service needs.

Key contributions from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) highlighted the Union of Skills initiative. Insights were also shared by EUREGHA and AGENAS, alongside presentations on the BeWell project and the JA HEROES initiative, both focusing on workforce planning and capacity building in healthcare systems and upskilling and reskilling on green and digital transition.

National social partners contributed practical examples of workforce  and skills development, drawing on experiences from Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ukraine, and Georgia.

The workshop underlined the importance of cooperation between social partners. Participants agreed that sustained collaboration is essential to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped with the skills needed for future challenges and to support sustainable, high-quality healthcare systems across Europe.

Consultations Hospeem

HOSPEEM Contributes to the public consultations on skills portability initiative

Following the social partners’ hearing of 23 January 2026, HOSPEEM submitted its contribution to the consultation on the European Commission’s Skills Portability Initiative. It supports improved cross-border recognition and transparency of skills, aligned with national systems and without new administrative burdens. HOSPEEM stresses the importance of existing EU tools, knowledge exchange on recognition for third-country nationals, respect for national competence, and social partner involvement to address labour shortages and strengthen healthcare workforce mobility and preparedness.

Action 1  HOSPEEM contribution – also on EC website

Action 2 HOSPEEM contribution – also on the EC website

Action 3 HOSPEEM contribution – also on the EC website

Events, Project 2025-2027 on Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-Proofing Skills in Health, Projects Hospeem

Third Workshop of the Joint Project “Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-proofing Skills in Health”

HOSPEEM and EPSU invites you to the third in-person workshop of the joint project on the topic of Digitalisation and Future-proofing Skills in Health in Rome, Italy.

The workshop will focus on how digitalisation and AI can soften the impact of labour shortage in the sector and support healthcare workforce in doing their job while ensuring the protection of workers and patients. In addition, the workshop will include an exchange of best practices on future-proofing skills and career pathways for the healthcare workforce as a crucial component to navigate in evolving landscape of the sector, improve patient-centred care and create a pool of well-trained and motivated healthcare workforce.

Three o'clock 5 – 6 March 2026 (1,5 days)

PinU.I.L. – Unione Italiana del Lavoro, Via Lucullo, 7, 00187, Rome, Italy

The reimbursement for the flight and accommodation is available for the EU participants:

  • Please follow this link to calculate eligible travel costs
  • Maximum reimbursement for accommodation – 114 EUR/night (for up to 2 nights)

The interpretation will be provided for English, Italian and 3 languages to be determined by the number of requests

Please register here

The registration deadline is 4 February 2026

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact o.horlach@hospeem.eu

Events, News, Project 2025-2027 on Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-Proofing Skills in Health Hospeem

Second Workshop on the Temporary Work Agency of the Joint HOSPEEM-EPSU TaSSEFSH Project

On 3–4 December, HOSPEEM and EPSU held the second workshop of their joint project, Tackling Staff Shortages and Ensuring Future-Proof Skills in Health, in Hilversum, the Netherlands. With strong support from the Nederlandse Vereniging van Ziekenhuizen (NVZ) and the Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV), representatives of employers and trade unions from across Europe met to exchange best practices on the involvement of temporary work agencies in the healthcare sector and on flexible working patterns in their countries. The workshop took place at Zonnenstraal, a historic former sanatorium in Hilversum.

Johan Siegert (FCB) and Niels Mooij (CAOP) delivered a presentation on the labour market for healthcare and Welfare – “AZW programma”, which was followed by the discussion. Marleen Vos opened the session on good practice presentations with the example from Groene Hart Ziekenhuis (GHZ), Gouda (the Netherlands), in which she explained the FIER programme with the activities of the internal flex agency of GHZ. André Renkema from NVZ delivered the presentation on the Care for the North initiative. Kevin Figgis from SIPTU, Ireland, presented an update on the state of temporary work agencies in the country.

On the second day, the workshop featured presentations on the state of play of the topic in Croatia by Maja Malic (HUP) and in Belgium by Myriam De Bruyn (Zorgnet-Icuro). Questions and comments from the participants followed the session.

This workshop was the second of five in the series. An external researcher will provide a summary of the findings.

Social Dialogue Hospeem

HOSPEEM-EPSU Joint Work Programme 2026-2028 for the European Sectoral Social Dialogue in the Hospital Sector

In November 2025, HOSPEEM and EPSU adopted the Joint Work Programme 2026–2028 addressing labour and skills shortages, preparedness, digitalisation, occupational safety and health, continuous professional development, and lifelong learning priorities jointly.
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