In this document you can find the highlights of the work of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector.
In 2014-2015 the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector dealt with a range of topics, carried out project-related activities and agreed on several documents.
Download the document:
Tjitte Alkema was re-elected Secretary General of HOSPEEM for a three-year mandate period, starting as of 1 January 2016.
Mr. Alkema has been involved in HOSPEEM’s activities since 2008 as a member of the General Assembly on behalf of NVZ Dutch Association of Hospitals. In 2010 he was elected for the Vice Secretary General position. Since January 2013 he has fulfilled the role of Secretary General.
At European level he 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 Mr. Alkema works as Manager of the Department of Industrial Relations & Education at NVZ Dutch Association of Hospitals, Chairman of the Foundation of Hospital labour market activities (StAZ), and Chairman of the consultative body on collective bargaining in the Dutch Hospital sector on behalf of NVZ Dutch Association of Hospitals (ROZ).
He previously worked at the Erasmus University Rotterdam as Head of the Education Department of the Erasmus School of Economics.
Social partners’ conference on approaches to the issue of psycho-social risks and stress at work
MEDIA RELEASE
On 10 November 2015, HOSPEEM and EPSU – with the support of the Finnish EPSU affiliates JHL, Superlitto and Tehy – organised a conference in Helsinki aimed at supporting a broad fact-finding on the main risk factors of psycho-social risks and stress at work in the hospital/healthcare sector, highlighting good practices to assess the risks and identifying instruments and measures that can help preventing, managing and/or reducing the risks. The live web streaming was followed by up to 250 people.
Alongside musculoskeletal disorders, psycho-social risks and stress are the most important health and safety hazards in the hospital/healthcare sector in Europe. Improvements would be beneficial in various regards as they would support effective recruitment and retention policies, reduce sickness absence and costs for employers and improve the health and safety of the workforce and thereby also the quality of service provided to patients in the hospital/healthcare sector.
Particular attention was given to the role and initiatives of social partners from local to national and European level in this regard. This was reflected in the presentations, many of which building on existing good practices and grassroots experience. Presentations from Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom illustrated how preventive actions, risk assessment and good management of psycho-social risks and stress at work can contribute to improved workers’ health and safety, to better quality care for the patients, to more attractive retention conditions for the workforce in the hospital sector and to improved efficiency in the management of healthcare institutions by reducing the negative effects psycho-social risks and stress at work have on the individual worker and/or on the good functioning of institutions and services in the hospital/healthcare sector.
The event brought together about 85 participants from more than 20 European countries. This conference was the contribution of the hospital/healthcare sector social partners to the EU-OSHA 2014-2015 ”Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress” campaign, aiming at giving a sector-specific input into the campaign and relevant follow-up activities. Zinta Podniece, representing DG EMPL, Kirsi Sillanpää, Tehy, representing EPSU, and Johanna Karlström, CLAE, representing HOSPEEM, participated in the closing panel discussion where the emphasis was put on trade unions’ and employers’ priorities with regard to further work on PSRS@W, on the main take home messages and the possibility of making practical use of the presented findings on the level of hospitals/healthcare institutions.
The conference is a key step for the sectoral social partners in the hospital sector in identifying instruments and forms of work organisation supportive in achieving healthier and safer working conditions. EPSU’s and HOSPEEM’s work on the issue will continue in 2016. This will include the collection and dissemination of existing good practices. The insights from the event will be discussed and assessed with a view to reach joint conclusions on relevant action to be taken to help preventing and reducing psycho-social risks and stress at work for the health workforce. A report is to be published in 2016.
Helsinki/Brussels, 16 November 2015
Contact:
HOSPEEM: Emilie Sourdoire, Policy Officer, e.sourdoire@hospeem.eu, +3222292158
EPSU: Mathias Maucher, Policy Officer “Health and Social Services”, mmaucher@epsu.org, +3222501093
For more information on joint project click on the webpages of HOSPEEM or EPSU
On 10 November 2015 the second conference of the joint HOSPEEM – EPSU project on occupational health and safety risks entitled “Social partners’ conference on approaches to the issue of psycho-social risks and stress at work” took take place in Helsinki (co-organised by JHL, Superlitto and Tehy and supported by EPSU).
The conference focused on the causes and impacts of psycho-social risks and stress at work, on how they can be best prevented and addressed and on how an effective risk assessment and management can be organised.
You can watch the recording of the Conference on the following link:
http://www.mediaserver.fi/live/conferencehelsinki
You can read the media release of HOSPEEM and EPSU or download the 
Media Release in pdf.
Read the report of the Helsinki conference, drafted by Nico Knibbe (LOCOmotion)
Report of the PSRS@W Conference-EN
Report of the PSRS@W Conference-FR
Report of the PSRS@W Conference-DE
Presentations
From Paris to Helsinki
Nico E Knibbe, Locomotion NL-EN
Session 1: “Setting the scene: Causes of psycho-social risks and stress at work (PSRS@W) in the hospital/health care sector”.
Managing stress and psychosocial risks at European workplaces, Julia Flintrop, EU-OSHA -EN
Session 2: “Risk assessment and risk management in the field of PSRS@W”
Stress in Healthcare – Can we measure and prevent stress in healthcare?- Albert Nienhaus, Institute for Epidemiology and Occupational Health for Healthcare Workers (CVcare) -EN
Challenges for healthcare Profession : work related stress, Peter J Kelly, Health and Safety Executive, (HSE)-EN
Session 3: “Better managing PSRS@W”
Applying workers’ health surveillance to manage PSRS@W, Dr. Sarah M. Ketelaar, Academic Medical Center Amsterdam -EN
Handling of harassment in Region Gävleborg, Anders Westlund, Malin Vadelius and Tor Andersson, Sweden -EN
Risk assessment & primary prevention of psycho-social risks and stress in the context of the restructuration of an institution of the CAPIO Group, Valerie d’Almeida,CFDT (Bayonne) and Catherine Allemand, Syndex -EN/FR
Session 4:” Better preventing PSRS@W”
Working in partnership for an improved prevention of PSRS@W, James Tracey -NHS Trust and Kim Sunley, Royal College of Nursing- EN
Session 5:” How can workers cope with their job demands and stay engaged?”
Well-being through work. How can workers cope with their job demands and stay engaged, Saija Koskensalmi, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health- EN
Abstract:
Abstracts of presentations
HOSPEEM Newsletter – Conference highlights
HOSPEEM Newsletter December 2015-Special Issue
*** Back to main project page ***
On 6 July, the European Commission published the final report of the study of DG SANTE on recruitment and retention of health workforce in Europe. HOSPEEM and EPSU provided a social partner-based input into the study. It identifies and analyses effective strategies for recruiting and retaining health professionals and aims to serve as a source of inspiration for the development of organisational strategies and human resources policies in Europe. Read the full study.
This first conference took place on 25th March 2015 in Paris (co-organised by FEHAP and supported by HOSPEEM) with around 90 participants from 16 EU Member States. The aim of the conference was to provide social partner organisations with a common understanding of the phenomenon of musculoskeletal disorders in the hospital sector and a clear picture of the concrete preventive measures they could take. Draft Agenda – Conference Paris 25 March 2015 – EN
Read the report of the Paris conference, drafted by Nico Knibbe (LOCOmotion):
Report of the MSD Conference-EN
Report of the MSD Conference-FR
Report of the MSD Conference-DE
Presentations:
The size: Musculoskeletal disorders: what is going on? Facts, figures and data about the nature and size of the problem.
Size and nature of the phenomenon of musculoskeletal disorders – Jean-Michel MILLER, Eurofound – EN
The solutions: How do we solve the issue?
Musculoskeletal disorders in the nursing profession: how do we solve the problem? What are the cornerstones? – Nico KNIBBE, LOCOmotion Research NL – EN
Cornerstone 1: Regulations and guidelines. What is the existing regulatory framework at EU and national level? Is the legislation well implemented in the different Member States?
Ergonomics at the Workplace – An EU Baseline Scenario – Antonio CAMMAROTA, DG EMPL, European Commission – EN
Swedish regulatory framework and implementation – Minke WERSÄLL, Swedish Work Environment Authority – EN
Cornerstone 2: Social partners. How can social partners contribute?
Video presentation of experience from Hospitals of the Mont-Blanc region (France) – Introductory remarks from Maryvonne NICOLLE, FSS-CFDT and Agnès NINNI, CFDT des Hôpitaux du Mont Blanc – FR, EN
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Partnership Group “Back-pack” – Kim SUNLEY, Royal College of Nursing & James TRACEY, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – EN
Good Work Environment and Good Performance Go Hand in Hand – Ing-Marie LARSSON & Solveig TORENSJÖ, Karlskoga hospital (Sweden) – EN
Cornerstone 3: (Re)building ergonomic hospitals. What should ergonomic hospitals look like?
Cost-Effectiveness of Ergonomic Hospital Design: Methods and strategies to reduce operational costs of hospitals by introducing ergonomic concepts to enable better work conditions and higher work efficiency – Tom GUTHKNECHT, Lausanne Health & Hospitality group – EN
Building ergonomic hospitals. What should ergonomic hospitals look like? – Leena TAMMINEN-PETER, Ergosolutions BC Oy Ab – EN
Assessment of work-related risks: a necessary ergonomic conception – Jean-Pierre ZANA, French National Institute for Research and Safety (INRS) – EN
Cornerstone 4: Training. How do we train health workers to work safer?
Preventing musculoskeletal disorders and training: FAQs – Diana ROBLA, Galician Health Service – EN
Preventing musculoskeletal disorders: from training to internal preventers: the example of the Institut Robert Merle d’Aubigné – Hélène ANTONINI-CASTERA, Institut Robert Merle d’Aubigné – FR
Closing remarks
Closing remarks: Maryvonne NICOLLE, CFDT Fédération Santé et Services Sociaux – FR, EN
Closing remarks: Marta BRANCA, ARAN – EN
Abstract and biography:
Abstracts of presentations – EN
Speaker’s biography – EN
HOSPEEM Newsletter – Conference highlights:
HOSPEEM Newsletter May 2015 – Special Issue
*** Back to main project page ***
This project has received funding from the European Commission
On 5 March 2015, the European Commission organised in Brussels the high-level conference “A New Start for Social Dialogue”, intended to give a new impetus to social dialogue at EU level, 30 years after Val Duchesse.
This first key event of the new European Commission gathered leaders of European and national social partners’ organisations (both cross-industry and sectoral) to discuss with the European Commission concrete ways to strengthen social dialogue and to ensure a more substantial involvement of social partners in EU policy-making. The European Commission was represented by President Jean-Claude Juncker, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovskis and several Commissioners, among which Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs.
The HOSPEEM Secretary General Tjitte Alkema was invited to participate in a workshop on social dialogue and better regulation and to deliver a presentation to present his views on this topic.
At this occasion, the Public Services Employers’ Forum, an informal forum of European employers’ organisations cooperating on matters of joint interest, released a Joint Declaration.
Project summary
HOSPEEM and EPSU have been provided financial support from the European Commission for a joint project entitled “Assessing health and safety risks in the hospital sector and the role of the social partners in addressing them: the case of musculoskeletal disorders and psycho-social risks and stress at work”. This project aims to implement one main priority of the work programme 2014-2016 of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector, i.e. the promotion of occupational safety and health.
Through this project, the social partners aim to identify how preventive actions can contribute to improved workers’ health and safety, to more attractive retention conditions in the hospital sector and to improved efficiency in the management of healthcare institutions by reducing the negative effects linked to these occupational risks. They also looked at and discussed the instruments needed to achieve healthy and safe working conditions. HOSPEEM and EPSU achieved these objectives through the exchange of knowledge and the identification of existing good practice (…) Read detailed project description.
Download project summary – EN – FR – DE – ES – RU – SV
Timeline:
This first conference took place on 25th March 2015 in Paris (co-organised by FEHAP and supported by HOSPEEM) with around 90 participants from 16 EU Member States. The aim of the conference was to provide social partner organisations with a common understanding of the phenomenon of musculoskeletal disorders in the hospital sector and a clear picture of the concrete preventive measures they could take (…)
The second conference of the joint HOSPEEM – EPSU project on occupational health and safety risks focused on psycho-social risks and stress at work and took place in Helsinki on 10 November 2015 (co-organised by JHL, Superlitto and Tehy and supported by EPSU).
This section presents documents (guidance, handbooks, training material etc…) on musculoskeletal disorders and on psychosocial risks and stress at work (…). Please note that this is work in progress.
This project has received funding from the European Commission
HOSPEEM is an official campaign partner of the Managing stress and psychological risks at work – Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2014-2015 of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The Europe-wide campaign aims to raise awareness of the problem and show employers and workers that stress and psychosocial risks can be successfully managed and prevented.
“Promoting occupational safety and health is a major priority for HOSPEEM, a priority that is even reflected in our 2014-2016 work programme. HOSPEEM is therefore strongly committed to making the Healthy Workplaces campaign a success. Together with the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), HOSPEEM is currently running a joint EU project aiming to assess the impact in the hospital sector of health and safety hazards, giving special attention to psychosocial risks and stress at work.
Being the second most frequently reported occupational hazard across the EU, psychosocial risks and stress at work negatively impact the health and well-being of workers and healthcare institutions. Ensuring safer and healthier working conditions is therefore a major challenge for the healthcare sector. For HOSPEEM, the Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress campaign is an opportunity to exchange information and knowledge and to identify existing good practice in this field.” says Tjitte Alkema, Secretary General of the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM).
How to get involved? There are a number of activities and events, find out more information on the Healthy Workplaces Campaign website. For you can watch the “Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress” video or find useful tools and resources.
Open call for tender for project: “Assessing health and safety risks in the hospital sector and the role of the social partners in addressing them: the case of musculoskeletal disorders and psycho-social risks and stress at work”.
Leading partner: HOSPEEM
Co-beneficiary: EPSU
Date of publication on the HOSPEEM website: 6 October 2014
Deadline to respond: 22 October 2014
TENDER SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBCONTRACTING EXTERNAL EXPERTISE
Background
Healthcare is one of the most significant sectors in the EU economy employing directly around one in every ten workers in the EU. The healthcare and hospital sector is also one of the sectors with the greatest potential for job creation in Europe due to different factors, not least the increasing demand for healthcare services due to demographic change. According to data of Eurostat in 2010 there were around 17.1 million jobs in the healthcare sector which accounted for 8% of all jobs in the EU-27.
The sector, however, faces major challenges that are multi-faceted and complex and that stem from the combined effect of different factors.
HOSPEEM and EPSU are committed to contribute to tackle these challenges, in particular in view of the extent to which they affect the health workforce, by making active and effective use of the social dialogue at EU-level.
It is on this backdrop that one of the two main topics of their joint work programme 2014-2016 focuses on the improvement of health and safety at the workplace by giving special attention to two hazards relevant in the health care sector, namely “musculoskeletal disorders” and “psychosocial risks and stress at work”. The project should help EPSU and HOSPEEM members to facilitate their work on identifying how actions on occupational health and wellbeing contribute to improved health as well as to retention within the healthcare sector. The project is relevant for the EU-level social partners in the hospital sector as better health and safety conditions are expected to have a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of health workers and on the efficiency of the healthcare institutions.
Objectives of the project
The common aim is to identify how actions aimed at preventing and managing these two occupational hazards can contribute to improved health as well as more attractive retention conditions within the healthcare sector. This objective is linked to the one of the improved efficiency in the management of healthcare institutions and workplaces by reducing costs linked to loss of productivity, sick leave and occupational diseases.
The activities under the project should help EPSU and HOSPEEM and their affiliates to work towards common views as to the analysis of the risks in hospitals and other health institutions, their relative weight, their incidence with specific groups of health workers or health professions and in view of identifying relevant measures, good practice and guidance to address them. They will build on existing material elaborated by their members.
The project should facilitate the task of identifying, collecting and comparing the material with a view of allowing mutual learning across the countries by exchanging on successful organisational models of OSH management, on tested material and guidance and on concrete measures.
The action will be delivered by organising two main conferences, by the elaboration of reports from the two events, by setting up of dedicated webpages on the HOSPEEM and EPSU websites to disseminate project outcomes and relevant material to target groups, and by involving external stakeholders in the events, where appropriate. Orientation and guidance will be provided by a “steering group” composed by representatives of the EU-level social partners jointly carrying out the project.
Based on an improved understanding of the issues at stake and after identification of the action points for the most effective follow-up that HOSPEEM and EPSU can take in the context of the joint work-programme 2014-2016 and beyond, the project results will be fed back into the work of the sectoral social dialogue committee to be discussed and assessed there.
Purpose of the contract
Support is being sought from an external expert to help to facilitate the project by providing background research, attending the two conferences that will be organised under the project, preparing reports from each of them (2 in total), gathering good practice examples from HOSPEEM members and EPSU affiliates.
Tasks to be performed by the contractor:
Supporting HOSPEEM and EPSU in selecting the speakers and drafting the agendas of the two conferences to be organised (one in Paris in March 2015 and one in Helsinki in November 2015, dates tbc)
Time scheduling
The project is scheduled to begin in October 2014 and will last for two years.
Price
The budget available for external expertise is 14 500 Euros (VAT included)
Selection criteria:
The offers received will be examined on the basis of the following criteria:
Proven knowledge / Evidenced track record of research (supported by publications, academic articles etc.) on OSH and specifically on musculoskeletal disorders and psycho-social risks and stress at work
Award criteria
The contract will be awarded to the tender offering the best value for money, taking into account the specific criteria set above. The principles of transparency and equal treatment with a view to avoiding any conflicts of interest will be respected.
Content and presentation of the bids
Tenders must include:
Offers must be submitted by the deadline of 22nd October both by post and email:
Elisa Benedetti
HOSPEEM
Rue des deux églises 26
1000 Brussels
Belgium
e-mail : e.benedetti@hospeem.eu
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