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Activities, Study visits Hospeem

HOSPEEM Study visit to Denmark in March 2017

HOSPEEM visited its Danish member organisation Danish Regions on 22 March 2017 in Copenhagen.

A meeting at Danish Regions provided the opportunity to discuss about their activities and current priorities and to exchange on the Danish healthcare system and on the most prominent challenges in the hospital and healthcare sector in Denmark.

We in particular exchanged about the Danish value-based healthcare initiative and digitalization in general being implemented in Danish hospitals.

During this study visit, HOSPEEM also had the opportunity to exchange about assessment of skill needs and cross-sectoral competence development. Working hour arrangements and how they affect workers’ health were also discussed.

HOSPEEM would like to express its sincere thanks to Malene Vestergaard Sørensen, Eva Weinreich-Jensen and Morten Slabiak for the warm welcome and the enriching and fruitful exchange. We would also like to thank warmly Signe Friberg Nielsen, Pernille Moll, Jette Steenberg Holtzmann and Anne Helene Garde for their very enlightening contributions.

Activities, Activity reports, News Hospeem

HOSPEEM Activity report 2016 is published

This activity report presents basic information on the history of HOSPEEM, on the membership structure as well as on the main activities carried out during the year.

2016 has been a very successful year with a number of achievements: the closure of the joint HOSPEEM-EPSU project on Occupational Health and Safety (OSH), the publication of the first HOSPEEM corporate brochure, the adoption of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Joint Declaration on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Life-Long-Learning (LLL) for all health workers in the EU, the high-level meeting with EU Commissioner for Health Vytenis Andriukaitis, the preparation of a new joint HOSPEEM-EPSU project on effective recruitment and retention policies, and also a HOSPEEM-EPSU new work programme 2017-2019 for the European social dialogue.

PDF - 304.4 koDownload the report

News Hospeem

HOSPEEM-EPSU Joint Work Programme 2017-2019 for the European Sectoral Social Dialogue in the Hospital Sector

At the first meeting of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector (SSDC-HS) in 2017, HOSPEEM and EPSU reached a final agreement of the Joint Work-Programme 2017-2019. It is structured around four major thematic priorities, i.e. recruitment and retention of health workforce, Continuing Professional Development and Life-Long Learning, Occupational Health and Safety and well-being, and Health care policy. Each sub-theme is presented with specific objectives, deliverables and a timeline.

PDF - 304.4 koDownload the Joint Work Programme – EN

 

News Hospeem

EU-OSHA visualisation tool on safety and health of Europe’s ageing workforce

EU-OSHA recently launched a visualisation tool designed to allow easy and quick access to the results of its three-year project “Safer and healthier work at any age”. The European Commission concluded a delegation agreement with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to carry out a pilot project entitled ‘Safer and healthier work at any age — occupational safety and health (OSH) in the context of an ageing workforce’. This was based on a decision and request of the European Parliament, whose objective was to further investigate possible ways of improving the safety and health of older people at work, as the ageing of the workforce will have a serious financial impact on workers, employers and taxpayers.

Thus, the project aimed to assess the prerequisites for OSH strategies and systems to take account of an ageing workforce and improve risk prevention and health protection for all throughout working life. The key results of the project are presented, including data on demographics, employment, working conditions, and health, as well as examples of OSH policies across Europe addressing the challenges of an ageing workforce.  This data visualisation tool presents the key findings of the project and allows users to explore the data in an interactive way by comparing countries and searching for policies, strategies and programmes, among other possibilities.

The issue of the ageing workforce is represented using the ‘Age pyramid’, that is, an interactive graph showing historical data and the projections for the EU, provided by Eurostat. Next to this, some important figures show that this issue is closely related to OSH and working conditions.

The country insights section provides country specific information on initiatives to address the ageing of the workforce, including healthy life years expectancy, population age structure development, employment rate, workplace risk assessments data etc…

See more in the visualisation tool

Activities, News, Projects Hospeem

HOSPEEM-EPSU Project 2017-2018 on effective recruitment and retention policies

               

In 2017-2018 HOSPEEM and EPSU have been provided with financial support from the European Commission for a joint project in the field of recruitment and retention entitled: “Promoting effective recruitment and retention policies for health workers in the EU by ensuring access to CPD and healthy and safe workplaces supportive of patient safety and quality care” (01.02.2017-01-01-2019).

Objectives 

The project provided an appropriate framework to continue to focus on continuing professional development (CPD) as a first joint policy priority for HOSPEEM and EPSU. The work served to collect, discuss and evaluate social partner-based initiatives and policy measures on a range of aspects linked to the aim of facilitating access to CPD and guaranteeing quality services supportive of patient safety and provided by a workforce fit for practice. It will build on the HOSPEEM-EPSU Joint Declaration on Continuing Professional Development and Life-Long Learning for All Health Workers in the EU.

The project was secondly geared towards the follow-up to results and recommendations of the HOSPEEM-EPSU joint project (2014-2016) in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH). The prevention, management and reduction of “musculoskeletal disorders” (MSD) and “psychosocial risks and stress at work” (PSRS@W) have been identified by HOSPEEM and EPSU members as two key priorities for their future joint work. In June 2016 they agreed on a “Summary Document” – available in EN, FR, DE, ES, RU and SV, setting out a number of follow-up activities to support policy implementation EPSU and HOSPEEM have agreed to consider in a next step. In May 2019, HOSPEEM and EPSU members agreed on the “summary document” of the project 2017-2019 “Promoting effective recruitment and retention policies for health workers in the EU by ensuring access to CPD and healthy and safe workplaces supportive of patient safety and quality care” (2017-2019).

PDF - 304.4 ko Download project detailed description

 Timeline:

Expected results

The project produced a report from each conference and a brief document summarising the main insight, conclusions and recommendations of the project. The information collected, the project results and recommendations will be fed back into the regular work of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the hospital/health care sector (SSDC HS) to be further discussed and assessed, in particular in view of their use to influence EU-level policy making. 

Implementation

Conference on Continuing Professional Development, 19-20 June 2017

This first conference took place on 19-20 June 2017 in Amsterdam (co-organised by NVZ and Dutch partners, supported by HOSPEEM).

Conference on Occupational Health and Safety (Musculoskeletal Disorders and Psychosocial Risks and Stress at work), 23-24 May 2018

This second conference took place in Vilnius on 23-24 May 2018 (co-organised by LSADPS and supported by EPSU).

Dissemination

Social partners’ dissemination workshop on OSH and CPD, 3 December 2018

This dissemination workshop took place in Brussels on 3 December 2018 (organised by HOSPEEM and EPSU, hosted by MEP Jana Žitňanská, ECR, Slovakia and MEP Brando Benifei, S&D, Italy).

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

 
This project has received funding from the European Commission
News Hospeem

EFSA/ECDC EU report on antimicrobial resistance

Bacteria found in humans, animals and food continue to show resistance to widely used antimicrobials, according to this report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Abstract:

The data on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria in 2015, submitted by 28 EU Member States (MSs), were jointly analysed by EFSA and ECDC. Resistance in zoonotic Salmonella and Campylobacter from humans, animals and food, and resistance in indicator Escherichia coli as well as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in animals and food were addressed. ‘Microbiological’ resistance was assessed using epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF) values; for some countries, qualitative data on human isolates were interpreted in a way which corresponds closely to the ECOFF-defined ‘microbiological’ resistance. In Salmonella from humans, high proportions of isolates were resistant to ampicillin, sulfonamides and tetracyclines, whereas resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was low. In Salmonella and Escherichia coli isolates from fattening pigs and calves under one year of age, resistance to ampicillin, tetracyclines and sulfonamides was frequently detected, whereas resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was uncommon. For the first time, presumptive extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-/AmpC-/carbapenemase-production in Salmonella and Escherichia coli was monitored in humans (Salmonella), meat (pork and beef), fattening pigs and calves. Varying occurrence/prevalence rates of ESBL-/AmpC-producers were observed between countries, and carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli were detected in single samples of pig meat and from fattening pigs from two MSs. Resistance to colistin was observed at low levels in Salmonella and Escherichia coli from fattening pigs and calves under one year of age and meat thereof. In Campylobacter from humans, high to extremely high proportions of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines, particularly in C. coli. In a few countries, a third to half of C. coli in humans were resistant also to erythromycin, leaving few options for treatment of severe Campylobacter infections. High resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines was observed in C. coli isolates from fattening pigs, whereas much lower levels were recorded for erythromycin. Co-resistance to critically important antimicrobials in both human and animal isolates was generally uncommon.

Read the scientific report (February 2017)

Activities, News, Projects Hospeem

Call for tender to subcontract external expertise

Open call for tender for Research on Promoting effective recruitment and retention policies for all health workers in the EU by ensuring access to continuing professional development (CPD) and healthy and safe workplaces supportive of patient safety and quality care.

Leading partner: EPSU
Co-beneficiary: HOSPEEM
Date of publication on the HOSPEEM website: 20 January 2017
Deadline to respond: 18 February 2017

Download the Call for Tender

TENDER SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBCONTRACTING EXTERNAL EXPERTISE

Purpose of the contract

Support is being sought from an external expert to help facilitating the implementation of the project run by the EU-level social partners in the hospital/health care sector EPSU and HOSPEEM. The contractor will provide support in the preparation, running and follow-up to the two conferences that will be organised in the context of the project. He/She will also contribute to identifying relevant literature on the two subjects addressed under the project and at the two conferences, to gathering possible speakers/experts that can provide input during the two conferences and to gathering good practice examples from EPSU affiliates and HOSPEEM members.

Tasks to be performed by the contractor

  • Identifying and providing EPSU and HOSPEEM with relevant literature on the two subjects addressed under the project related to the two conferences
  • Supporting EPSU and HOSPEEM in identifying the speakers/experts, in drafting the agendas of the two conferences to be organised and in facilitating the events content-wise.
  • Attending both conferences and preparing a report from both events. The contractor will have to submit the two reports to the respective Steering Group for amendments and final approval
  • Supporting EPSU and HOSPEEM with the gathering of good practice examples from EPSU affiliates and HOSPEEM members and research or publications from other projects
  • Following the second conference, the contractor will be asked to participate in a follow-up meeting gathering both Steering Groups to assess the results of the project
  • Drafting of a short overall report/take-home messages from the project

Time scheduling

The two-year project is scheduled to begin in January 2017 and end in December 2018.

The expert will be selected by the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats on the basis of the tender prior to the joint kick-off meeting of the two Steering Groups.

She/he is expected to participate in the following meetings foreseen under the project.

a) Steering Groups

  • Meeting Day 1 (28 February 2017): Joint kick-off meeting of the two Steering Groups [morning] and first meeting of the Steering Group on CPD to prepare event 1 on continuing professional development (CPD) [afternoon]
  • Meeting Days 2 and 3 (October 2017): Second meeting of the Steering Group on CPD to assess event 1 on CPD and to discuss possible follow-up activities [first day/half day] and first meeting of the Steering Group on occupational health and safety at the workplace (OSH) to prepare event 2 on OSH on the topics musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) & and psycho-social risks and stress at work (PSRS@W) [second day/half day]
  • Meeting Day 4 (June 2018): Second meeting of the OSH Steering Group to assess event 2 on OSH and to discuss possible follow-up activities
  • Meeting Day 5 (December 2018): Final joint meeting of the two Steering Groups

b) Conferences

The expert is also expected to attend the two conferences to be held in the framework of the project, the first on CPD (currently the dates foreseen are 19 and 20 June 2017 in either Amsterdam or Utrecht, Netherlands) and the second on OSH (MSD and PSRS@W) foreseen for March 2018 (the exact date has not yet been scheduled) in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The expert is expected to deliver a first draft of the reports from the two conferences at the latest three months after they will have taken place respectively.

Payments and standard contracts

The contract will be drawn up between EPSU and the contractor. Payments will be made in three instalments dependent on the contractor carrying out the relevant stages of the work as listed above. The first payment of EUR 3.000 (20%) will be paid upon signing the contract. The second payment of 40% will be paid on presentation of the report from the first conference (to be held in June 2017) and a final payment of 40% on completion and presentation of the two reports, taking on board suggestions for revisions or additions by the members of Steering Groups 1 on CPD and 2 on OSH and/or the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats, to be received on Meeting Day 4.

The travel and accommodation expenses for the contractor to attend the project conferences or meet with the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats will be covered by the overall travel and accommodation budget of the project.

Price

The maximum funding for this work is EUR 15.000 (all taxes and charges included).

Selection criteria

The offers received to the call for tender will be examined by the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats – which can decide to also consult with representatives of EPSU affiliates and HOSPEEM members, where appropriate – on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Proven knowledge / Evidenced track record of research (supported by publications, academic articles etc.) on continuing professional development (CPD) in the field of health care and on occupational health and safety at the workplace (OSH), specifically on musculoskeletal disorders and psycho-social risks and stress at work
  • Experience of working with social partners
  • Particular expertise for the hospital/health care sector
  • Knowledge of the functioning of European Social Dialogue and of its outcomes
  • Proven ability to facilitate meetings in English and to draft documents in English
  • Respect of the budgetary constraints
  • Previous work in collaboration with European social partners will be considered as an asset

Award criteria

The contract will be awarded to the tender offering the best value for money, taking into account the specific selection criteria set out 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

The bid has to contain information related to the services to be provided as specified above under the headings “Tasks to be performed by the contractor” and “Selection criteria”.

Bids must be received within 30 days after the date of publication of this call for tenders on the websites of EPSU and HOSPEEEM and additional channels of publication or circulation as to be decided by the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats.

The EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats will assess the tenders considered eligible and will make the final selection according to the above mentioned selection and award criteria and the list of tasks the contractor is expected to perform.

Bids submitted in English must include:

  • All information and documents necessary to enable the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats to appraise the bid on the basis of the selection and award criteria set out above;
  • A detailed CV of the expert(s) involved in the project activities;
  • Explanation of the proposed methodology for conducting the work.

Deadline for submission of the bids

The bids should be submitted to EPSU, Mathias Maucher, mmaucher@epsu.org, within the 30-day deadline starting from the date the tender first appears on the EPSU and HOSPEEM websites.

Activities, News, Social Dialogue Hospeem

10th anniversary of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector

HOSPEEM and EPSU celebrated the 10th anniversary of their Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector on the occasion of their plenary meeting organised in Brussels on 2 December 2016.

The Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector was set up in September 2006 at the joint request of the hospital sector social partners. The inaugural meeting of the Committee was held on 20 September 2006.

HOSPEEM and EPSU were honoured and delighted to host Mr. Xavier Prats Monné, Director General of DG SANTE, and Mr. Michel Servoz, Director General of DG EMPL, on the occasion of this celebration that was attended by more than 70 participants.

HOSPEEM and EPSU have established fruitful cooperation and close working relations with DG EMPL and DG SANTE over the years and appreciate their presence as an expression of interest and support for their work and activities.

This celebration provided the opportunity to stress the crucial role played by the hospital sector social partners and the importance of the hospital sector social dialogue.

This event also offered an excellent opportunity to highlight the major achievements of HOSPEEM and EPSU over the last decade as well as to exchange on future challenges and priorities.

Xavier Prats Monné underlined in his speech the positive changes taking place in the health sector, made possible thanks to the quality, skills and dedication of health professionals. Looking at the challenges for the next decade, he stated that none of them would be addressed without looking at the workforce and without a strengthened effort on recruitment and retention.

Michel Servoz stressed the good functioning and efficiency of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector. He also emphasized the crucial dimension of this sector for the quality of life and focused on three major challenges faced by this sector, i.e. skills, job creation and innovation, on which social partners have a major role to play.

The Secretary Generals of EPSU and HOSPEEM also respectively delivered a speech to celebrate 10 years of successful European social dialogue in the hospital sector.

Jan-Willem Goudriaan, EPSU General Secretary, underlined the importance of the principle of autonomy of social partners and put the emphasis on the need to further build up and strengthen the capacities of national employers’ and trade union organisations.

In his speech, Tjitte Alkema, HOSPEEM Secretary General, paid tribute to the commitment and active involvement of HOSPEEM and EPSU members in the hospital social dialogue, saying that it had been, and would always be, fundamental in achieving great results.

About Hospeem

HOSPEEM brochure

In the years to come HOSPEEM is looking forward to represent the interests of hospital and healthcare employers across Europe and to further build the future of hospital care. As an independant, membership-based organisation and as recognised social partner, HOSPEEM has a distinct voice influencing EU-policy making.

At the occasion of its 10th anniversary in 2016 HOSPEEM published the first HOSPEEM brochure and in 2020, a new edition of the HOSPEEM brochure was published. In this brochure you will find information on the mission, the history, the members, the core focus areas and ten years of achievements of the organisation.

PDF - 304.4 koDownload the brochure

News Hospeem

HOSPEEM 10th Anniversary, 2006-2016

The 10th anniversary of HOSPEEM was celebrated at the occasion of the General Assembly on December 1st 2016 at the European Economic and Social Committee.

 

Tjitte Alkema, Secretary General of HOSPEEM stated that:

“In 2016 HOSPEEM celebrates ten years of commitment to represent the interests of hospital and healthcare employers across Europe. HOSPEEM is now a structured platform of employers supplying services of general interest, with a unique expertise in the field of workforce and industrial relations’ issues for the hospital and healthcare sector and a distinct voice influencing EU policy-making.

This 10th anniversary is an opportunity to look back at our major achievements and to look at future challenges. Since 2006 HOSPEEM has been working closely with the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) to establish and sustain a fruitful Hospital Sector European Social Dialogue. In this context we have been able to build a climate of mutual respect and trust also leading to the signature of a number of significant agreements and guidelines. As a European independent, membership-based organisation HOSPEEM has effectively supported its members to implement outcomes of Social Dialogue through exchanges of good practices and innovative capacity building activities.

As a recognised social partner HOSPEEM has been a key player in the European Social Dialogue for the last ten years. HOSPEEM is successfully ensuring that the views of employers are being heard at the highest level in the European institutions. In the years to come, HOSPEEM is looking forward to further build the future of hospital care empowering on-the-ground hospital employers and managers.”

The first HOSPEEM brochure was published at the occasion of the 10th anniversary.

PDF - 304.4 koDownload the new brochure

 

 

 

 

 

Social partners also celebrated 10 years of fruitful social dialogue at the plenary meeting of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector on December 2nd.

PDF - 304.4 koDownload the presentation “highlights of 10 years of social dialogue”
Watch the video “celebrating 10 years of Social Dialogue 2006-2016”


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