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 2019 the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector dealt with a wide range of topics in the framework of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Joint Work Programme and carried out project-related activities.
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 2018 the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector dealt with a wide range of topics in the framework of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Joint Work Programme and carried out project-related activities.
On 28 March 2019, HOSPEEM, EPSU and the project partners, Sanitas (EPSU affiliate, Romania), ARAN (HOSPEEM member, Italy) and HSSMS-MT (EPSU affiliate, Croatia) hosted the kick-off meeting of their new joint project in the field of sectoral social dialogue capacity building: “Strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector in the East, South and Central Europe”.
The meeting was the occasion to discuss the capacity building needs of sectoral social partners in the hospital sector in the three targeted regions as well their involvement in the European agenda, including the European Semester.
The need to strengthen representativeness of the sectoral social partners’ activities also by sharing best practices, ensuring a bottom up approach and the need to foster the capacities of social partner organisations for social dialogue to be successful were among the topics discussed.
The importance of guaranteeing the link between the sectoral social partners’ national priorities and the European Semester process was raised by the participants. It was highlighted how social partners should be supported in creating and ensuring a social dialogue infrastructure, an enabling political and social environment where they can identify their priorities and bring them to the EU level.
The event gathered around 20 participants, governments’ representatives from the Permanent Missions to the EU, and DG EMPL representatives from the Social Dialogue Unit and from the Unit on Employment and social aspects of the European Semester.
The agenda of the meeting, the presentation of the project and the overview of the main HOSPEEM and EPSU joint activities in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue are now available.
EPSU has also published an event page for this meeting.
***Back to main project page***
This project has received financial support from the European Union
On 13 February 2019, during the first meeting of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector, HOSPEEM and EPSU adopted the final report on the “Follow-up on the Directive 2010/32/EU on the prevention from sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector” as part of the current HOSPEEM-EPSU Work Programme 2017 – 2019.
The report provides information on the role and impact of the national social partners during relevant stages of the transposition and implementation of the Directive.
The report builds on 30 replies from HOSPEEM members and EPSU affiliates (in 3 cases joint replies) from 20 countries, including from outside the EU also from Norway and Serbia. It also contains recommendations to the national and EU-level social partners, to European institutions (in particular to the European Commission and EU-OSHA) as well as to EU MS.
The report published in 2019 is the second follow-up activity carried out by HOSPEEM and EPSU in relation to the Directive 2010/32/EU after their joint project in 2012 and 2013. More information on the project and the project report from 2012-2013 is also available.
Sharps report summary brochure for Social partners
Sharps report summary brochure for EU institutions and agencies
Open call for tender for research on strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector in the East, South and Central Europe
Date of publication on the HOSPEEM and EPSU website: 01 February 2019
Deadline for submissions: 22 February 2019
TENDER SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBCONTRACTING EXTERNAL EXPERTISE
In order to ensure large visibility to this tender, HOSPEEM and EPSU will publish the tender on their websites. This tender will be publicly available for 21 days.
1. Purpose of the contract
Support is being sought from an external team of experts to help to facilitate the implementation of the project run by the EU-level social partners in the hospital/health care sector EPSU and HOSPEEM. The contractors will carry out research, in the form of a survey, to gather information on the priorities of the employers’ organisations and the trade unions and how they could be better articulated in future activities of HOSPEEM and EPSU. The research will also cover on information on the current involvement of the sectoral social partners in the European Semester with the aim to strengthen their role in this regard. The findings of this research will be presented at the regional capacity building workshops in form of draft factsheets. The subcontracted team of experts will also be responsible for the capacity building with social partner organisations in the respective countries and will assist in the organisation of the regional workshops in Bucharest, Rome and Zagreb. HOSPEEM and EPSU also expect the contractors to assist with the coordination of the project to ensure good outcomes.
2. Tasks to be performed by the subcontracted team of experts
The final fact sheets should build on desk research as well as the surveys of the member organisation and other contacts of HOSPEEM and EPSU.
In order to perform the tasks listed above, the subcontracted team of experts will be asked to work for a total of 40 days.
3. Selection criteria
The offers received to the call for tender will be examined by the HOSPEEM EPSU and Secretariats – which can decide to also consult with representatives of EPSU affiliates and HOSPEEM members, where appropriate – on the basis of the following criteria:
Next to contributing effectively to the success of this project, the contractor has to ensure a non-discriminatory work environment, including gender equality within the subcontracted team of experts.
The contract will be awarded according to the various elements contained below:
4. Time schedule and reporting
The project duration is from February 2019 until January 2021. Draft fact sheets must be made available no less than 2 weeks prior to each workshop. The workshop reports should be prepared within one month after the workshop. A final project report taking into account proceedings at the dissemination workshop is required by December 2020.
5. Payment and standard contract and price
The total maximum budget available for the fees of the subcontractor is as follows:
Contract with HOSPEEM
Price
The total budget for the Expertise is 24 000,00 EUR (all taxes and charges included).
HOSPEEM will sign a contract with the subcontracted team of experts. Payments will be made in three instalments dependent on the contractors carrying out the relevant stages of the work as listed above. A first payment of 20% of contract value on signature of the contract, a further payment of 40% of contract value on completion of the reports from the first two regional capacity building workshop (end of 2019) and a final payment of 40% upon finalisation of the project and delivery of the report from the third regional capacity building workshop and the final project report. 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 and paid separately from the above-mentioned instalments.
6. Selection criteria related to the financial in technical capacity of the bidders
The contract will be awarded to the tenderer who is offering presents 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 conflict of interest will be respected.
The offer received will be examined on the basis of the following criteria:
7. Content presentation of the tender
Tenders must be written in English. They must be signed by the tenderer or his duly authorised representative and be perfectly legible so that there can be no doubt as to words and figures. Tenders must be clear and concise.
They must make it clear that they are able to meet the requirements of the specifications. All tenders must include at least two sections:
i) Technical proposal
The technical proposal must provide all the information needed for the purpose of awarding the contract, including:
ii) Financial proposal
Prices of the financial proposal must be quoted in euros, including if the sub-contractor is based in a country which is not in the euro-area. As far as the tenderers of those countries are concerned, they cannot change the amount of the bid because of the evolution of the exchange rate. The tenderers choose the exchange rate and assume all risks or opportunities relating to the rate fluctuation.
Prices shall be fixed and not subject to revision during the performance of the contract.
8. Content and selection of the bids
Offers must be received within 21 days of the date of publication of this call for tender by HOSPEEM, i.e. by 22 February 2019. Offers must be sent to HOSPEEM in both formats: electronic (by e-mail to s.mohrs@hospeem.eu and hospeem@hospeem.eu) and as a paper copy (see contact details below).
To ensure confidentiality, bidders must submit their offer in a sealed envelope. If self-adhesive envelopes are used, they must be sealed with adhesive tape crossed by the signature of the sender.
All candidates must either deliver their bid by hand or submit them by registered letter to:
Simone Mohrs
HOSPEEM
Rue des Deux Eglises, 26, bte. 5
1000 Brussels
Belgium
s.mohrs@hospeem.eu
EPSU has also published the Call for Tender on their webpage
***Back to main project page***
This project has received funding from the European Commission
MEDIA RELEASE
HOSPEEM and EPSU have been provided with financial support from the European Commission for a joint project in the field of sectoral social dialogue capacity building: “Strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector in the East, South and Central Europe” (01.02.2019 – 31.01.2021)
The project will provide an appropriate framework to address capacity building needs of social partners in the following 14 countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, by exchanging on and collecting their priorities and challenges that they are facing at national level.
Three Regional Workshops are planned between June 2019 and June 2020 as well as a dissemination workshop in Brussels by the end of 2020.
A report, containing the outcomes of the workshops and the conclusions drawn during the final dissemination event will be produced, along with other supporting materials (e.g. fact sheets for each targeted country and videos).
In implementing this project HOSPEEM and EPSU wish to promote a “bottom-up” approach in the capacity building process. The information gathered during the project will be fed back into the regular meetings of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector (SSDC HS). Core priorities of the sectoral dialogue between EPSU and HOSPEEM for the targeted regions will be discussed and evaluated, also in view of their use to influence EU-level policy makers.
***Back to main project page***
This project has received financial support from the European Union
HOSPEEM and EPSU have been provided with financial support from the European Commission for a joint project in the field of sectoral social dialogue capacity building: “Strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector in the East, South and Central Europe” in the years 2019 and 2021.
Objectives
The project will provide an appropriate framework to continue addressing capacity building needs of social partners. The work will serve to help build the capacity of the hospital sector social partners in 14 targeted countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia) by exchanging on and collecting the relevant topics and priorities in view of the EU-level sectoral social dialogue.
It will also be instrumental to discuss and evaluate the core priorities and outcomes of the sectoral dialogue between EPSU and HOSPEEM for the targeted regions, and to assist in feeding into the sectoral social dialogue committee for the hospital/healthcare sector (SSDC HS) the social dialogue interests and important topics in a “bottom-up” process to support the aim of building capacity.
Download project description (2019-2021)
Implementation of the action
The project will run over 35 months. This will allow the delivery of a full project cycle including preparatory activities, the implementation of the work plan and the dissemination of results.
The project foresees the organisation of three Regional Workshops, the first in June 2019 in Bucharest (Romania), the second in November 2019 in Rome (Italy) and the third one in April 2021 online (originally planned in Zagreb, Croatia). The preparation and organisation of the first event was supported by Sanitas (EPSU affiliate, Romania), the second by ARAN (HOSPEEM member, Italy) and the third one by HSSMS-MT (EPSU affiliate, Croatia). Furthermore, a dissemination workshop webinar will take place in June 2021 targeted to a wider audience in Brussels (Belgium).
Orientation and guidance will be provided by an Advisory Committee composed by representatives from the affiliated associations Sanitas, ARAN and HSSMS-MT. The Advisory Committee will have the task – together with a team of expert (CELSI) – to help the Secretariats to prepare, support, monitor and evaluate project-related activities.
Download final project summary (2019-2021)
Timeline
Results
The project produced a report from each Regional Workshop to be drafted by the expert and to be agreed upon by the Advisory Committee and the HOSPEEM and EPSU Secretariats:
Regional workshop report – Eastern Europe
Regional Workshop report – Southern Europe
Regional Workshop report – Central Europe
Another deliverable is a final report summarising the main insights, conclusions and recommendations from the three Regional Workshops and the final dissemination workshop:
EN – BG – CZ – EL – ES – HR – HU – IT – PL – PT – RO – SI – SK
14 fact sheets of the targeted countries collecting national social partners’ priorities and challenges trough survey and desk research:
EN – BG – CY – CZ – EL – ES – HR – HU – IT – PL – PT – RO – SI – SK
The information gathered the outcomes of the workshops’ debates, the contents of the reports on the Regional Workshops will be fed back into the regular meetings of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector (SSDC HS) to be further discussed and assessed, in particular in view of their use to influence EU-level policymaking.
Implementation
The kick-off meeting took place in Brussels (organised by HOSPEEM). The morning session of the meeting was attended by external stakeholder such as Permanent Representations to the EU and European Commission, whereby the afternoon session was reserved for the members of the Advisory Committee.
The first workshop took place in Bucharest (co-organised by Sanitas, supported by EPSU).
The second workshop took place in Rome (co-organised by ARAN, supported by HOSPEEM.
This third workshop originally planned in Zagreb took place online on 20 April 2021 (co-organised by HSSMS-MT, supported by EPSU. ***Due to the exceptional circumstances, this workshop had originally been planned on 15th May 2020 in Zagreb. ***
The last workshop took place online on 16 June 2021 (organised by HOSPEEM).
Documentation
European Sectoral Social Dialogue activities overview (2006-2019)
Download project description (2019-2021)
Download final project summary (2019-2021)
EPSU also has set up a page with the project-related information.
This project has received financial support from the European Union
In this December 2018 edition of the newsletter, you will find information on the Social Partner’s Dissemination Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), HOSPEEM news, news from our Members in France and in Lithuania.
This newsletter includes also relevant EU News, events and publications for hospital employers.
On 23 and 24 May 2018 the second conference of the HOSPEEM-EPSU project “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” (2017-2018) took place in Vilnius (co-organised by LSADPS and supported by EPSU). The aim of this conference on Occupational Safety and Health was to pursue and expand the social partners’ thematic focus on the prevention and reduction of MSD and PSRS@W.
Agenda, report & relevant documents:
Final agenda - in EN and LT (as of 16 May 2018)
Final report (as of Dec 2018)
Abstracts
Biographies
Media Release - in EN and LT (as of 24 may 2018)
Media Toolkit
Save the Date (as of 20 February 2018)
Presentations
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Welcome note
Rita Zubkevičiūtė, Chief Labour Inspector - Occupational illnesses caused by ergonomic risk factors in diagnoses of Lithuanian healthcare workers - in EN and LT
Plenary 1: Psychosocial Risks and Stress at Work
Mag. Pharm Slava Zlatanova, Deputy Chairwoman (FTU-HC CITUB) and Krasimir Grudev, Elected Board Member (NUPH) - The impact of psychosocial risks at work on the quality of medical services in Bulgaria (the role of employers and trade unions)
Alice Casagrande, Head of the life-long training, innovation and voluntary work department (FEHAP) - Prevention of violence on health workers
Thursday, 24 May 2018
Speech
Dr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner for Health & Food Safety (European Commission) - European Commission Perspectives on Occupational Safety and Health and Health Workforce Challenges
Plenary 2: Organisational Climate
Sebastian Starystach and Christina Streib (University of Heidelberg) - Risk assessment of psychosocial stress for nursing staff according to the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act – an example of a comprehensive and participative approach in the University Clinic Heidelberg
Anouk ten Arve, Programme Manager and Marc Spoek, Manager (Stichting IZZ) - Approach to Organisational Climate: Talking to each other improves health and safety among health care employees + 
Video links: About IZZ , IZZ Approach & IZZ Story
Dr. Sabine Gregersen, Head of Health Sciences - Measuring health-promoting leadership within the scope of the risk assessment
Session 1 - PSRS@W
Zoyia Antoniou, Secretary (PASYDY) - Intervention to enhance satisfaction of nurses in the work environment, to prevent burnout and to improve services provided to patients
Gunnar Sundqvist, Investigator (SALAR) and Margaretha Johansson, National Officer (Kommunal) - Suntarbetsliv
Kevin Charles, Chaplain & Staff Support Lead and Tracy Cunningham, Community Paramedic (East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust) - Supporting staff mental health in East Midlands Ambulance Trust
Session 2 - MSD
Lars Andersen, Professor (National Research Institute for working environment – NFA) - Physical work environment among healthcare workers
Anna Kukka, Work Environment Specialist (TEHY) and Leena Tamminen-Peter, Independent Occupational Health Ergonomic and Economics Expert - SOTERGO and the ergonomic patient handling card
Session 3 - Organisational Climate
Merja Hyvärinen, Legal Adviser (SuPer) - Vuosaari homecare
Elize Hooftman, Manager FIER/Capacity Manager (Groene Hart Ziekenhuis) and Elles van der Neut, Team Leader FIER (Groene Hart Ziekenhuis) - Innovative flexible rostering; the right person, in the right place at the right time - in EN and NL
Konan Midy and Fabienne Tartaise, Centre Hospitalier Douarnenez, Bretagne (CFDT SSS) - Presentation of trade union work to prevent PSR in the context of “quality of work programmes” (in a public-sector hospital) - in EN and FR
Plenary 3 – Occupational Safety and Health
Anna-Mari Jaanu, Programme Manager (Kunteko) - Kunteko 2020 - Programme for improving working life in Finnish local and county government + video link
Raimonda Eičinaitė-Lingienė, Head (Occupational Health Centre, Institute of Hygiene) - The Workplace of Medical Worker – An Appropriate Platform for Health Innovation and Collaboration - in EN and LT
Closing Panel
Dr. Malgorzata Milczarek, Project Manager (EU-OSHA) - EU-OSHA’s view on preventing psychosocial risks and MSDs at work
Videos
Teaser
Conference in a nutshell
Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, Health and Food Safety + Complete Speech
EPSU
HOSPEEM
Kunteko 2020 (Finland)
IZZ, The collectivity of people in health care : About IZZ , IZZ Approach & IZZ Story (The Netherlands)
The final report will be published in the upcoming months.
Photo Gallery
See the photos here
Sketch drawings
Download in pdf
Gallery
Photos & drawings credits: Suus livecartoons.nl /HOSPEEM-EPSU, 2018
EPSU has also published an event page for the conference.
***Back to main project page***
This project is supported with funds from the European Commission
MEDIA RELEASE
In their first Working Group meeting of the European Social Dialogue in the Hospital Sector, on 04 April 2018 HOSPEEM and EPSU looked back to the signing of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Code of Conduct on Ethical Cross-Border Recruitment and Retention on 8 April 2008 and renewed their commitment to promote, guarantee and defend decent recruitment and working conditions for migrant workers, from the EU and from outside the EU, in hospitals and healthcare facilities across Europe.
HOSPEEM and EPSU issued a Joint Media Release on the 10 years anniversary of the Code of Conduct. It represents an important instrument to support the free movement of workers across the European Union while preventing unethical competition between the Member States and employers in terms of cross-country recruitment process, fair and transparent contracting and the induction of migrant workers at the new workplace. This also holds for their equal and non-discriminatory treatment regarding labour law, social protection provisions and the access to training and career progression and the freedom of association.
The EPSU-HOSPEEM Code of Conduct on Ethical Cross-Border Recruitment and Retention was inspired by social partner-based or/and public policy tools already in use in different European Union Member States. At international level, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 21 May 2010 adopted and set into practice the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. The Global Code, non-binding in nature, addresses a number of similar issues already covered with in the EPSU-HOSPEEM Code of Conduct.
In the meeting on 4 April 2018, HOSPEEM and EPSU members reiterated their commitment to the 12 key principles of their 2008 Code of Conduct and to the promotion of ethical recruitment and retention practices at European, national, regional and local level in the upcoming years, both in their own work and in the broader context of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Tjitte Alkema, Secretary General of HOSPEEM reflected on the impact of the Code of Conduct: “10 years ago, our Code of Conduct was an inspiration for the work of the World Health Organisation. Nowadays, given the migration flows to and within the European Member States, it is still very relevant.”
EPSU General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan welcomed the constructive dialogue there has been with the European employers since the Code of Conduct. “We sought to ensure decent working conditions for all, to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers and to make sure public health systems are not undermined by unfair recruitment practices. Our Code was and is a significant contribution to achieve sustainable quality care for all.”
At the meeting on 4 April 2018, several HOSPEEM members and EPSU affiliates commented on the use and positive effects of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Code of Conduct on Ethical Cross-Border Recruitment and Retention. They also referred to different models of how the 12 principles of the Code of Conduct have been incorporated in their national contexts, either into legislation, by means of collective agreements and/or by using enterprise-based agreements.
Kate Ling, NHS Confederation, United Kingdom, gave an overview on the use by the employers in the NHS and about the effects of the Code of Conduct in the United Kingdom, showcasing some good practice examples: “NHS organisations should only use recruitment agencies that comply with the Code, which includes guarantees to give overseas recruits good induction, training and employment protection. A key tenet of the UK Code is that recruitment of staff from abroad should not damage healthcare systems in developing countries. Active recruitment from developing countries shouldn’t take place unless there is a government-to-government agreement. For example, the UK and India have a scheme called Earn Learn and Return where staff from India can come to the UK to fill shortages in specialist areas, and in return they get the opportunity to gain specialist expertise and develop skills that they can then take back with them after they leave the UK to improve healthcare in India. So, both countries benefit.”
Tjitte Alkema wrapped up the Working Group meeting, reflecting on the freedom of movement of persons in the European Union and the respective aim of the Code of Conduct: “We are in the European Union: one of the fundamental rights is the freedom of movement of people within the European Union. Our Code of Conduct is trying to establish a fair system of mobility in which people are not exploited and countries are not suffering from the mobility of workers. The Code of Conduct is however only as strong as the partners that support it. It only works if we also identify incorrect application, put them on the table and make them transparent. The WHO Code and the Code of Conduct of the Social Partners are complementary in the European setting.”
EPSU has also published an article on the event and the 10-year anniversary celebration.
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