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

Webinar 3: Risk assessment, an EU health and safety obligation

The webinar is the third 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 will take place on Monday, 25 October 2021 – 14:00-16:30 CET.

The webinar aims to understand implementing preventative risk assessment culture regarding third-party violence and harassment at work and provides good practice examples from national social partners.

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 will be provided to and from English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Agenda and report

Draft agenda (as of 04 October 2021)

Report Webinar 3

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

This project has received financial support from the European Union

Webinar 2: Gender-based violence and harassment

The webinar was the second 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 work took place on 24 September 2021 – 14:00-16:30 CET.

The webinar aimed to better understand gender-based violence and its consequences on workers, to discuss prevention and management measures at the workplace while sharing initial views on the potential update of the Guidelines.

The project  examined and discussed 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 aimed 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 focuses 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 provided to and from English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Presentations

Overview of survey responses and overview of measures against domestic violence at the workplace, Jane Pillinger, Project consultant

Ending violence and harassment in the world of work, ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206, presentation by Manuela Tomei, ILO

Agenda and report

Draft agenda (as of 31 August 2021)

Report webinar 2 

Materials

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

This project has received financial support from the European Union

Consultations on Micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability and on Individual Learning Account

HOSPEEM responded to the European Commission public consultations on Micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability and on Individual Learning Accounts. HOSPEEM stressed the need for a social partners’ led approach that respect the specificity of national industrial relations systems when defining training schemes and providing new opportunities for employment.

Read HOSPEEM response on Micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability

Read HOSPEEM response on Individual Learning Accounts

In 2022, the Council of the EU adopted two recommendations :

Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability 2022/C 243/02

Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on individual learning accounts 2022/C 243/03

HOSPEEM response to EU4Health related priorities, strategic orientations and needs of 2022

HOSPEEM responded to the targeted stakeholder consultation, which is intended to seek feedback from stakeholders on the priorities and strategic orientations and on the needs to be addressed through EU4Health annual work programmes, particularly focusing on input that could facilitate reflection for the 2022 EU4Health Work Programme and beyond.

HOSPEEM highlighted that the Programme should focus on initiatives facilitating MS to overcome workforce shortages and medical brain drain. While medical deserts are essential to achieve equal access to healthcare, the underlying factors are workforce shortages and brain drain. MS needs to recognise the importance of national self-sufficiency by investing in training, recruitment and retaining the health workforce.

Read the full contribution here