1.N. Workshop: Improving the wellbeing of the health workforce in Europe: Issues and lessons from Ireland
Authors:   Organised by: Trinity College Dublin (Ireland),   Chair persons: Steve Thomas (Ireland)
Published: October 2023

Health systems have been subject to a series of crises over the last fifteen years from economic austerity to the COVID-19 pandemic and now the cost of living crisis. At the same time many high-income countries have bolstered their own deficient supply of health workers by importing skilled health professionals from other countries. The health workforce has borne the brunt of each of these shocks and it is no surprise that there is demotivation, burnout and high attrition across staff cadres across Europe. Not enough is known about the root causes of these phenomena and therefore what can be done to effectively enhance workforce wellbeing and engagement and also assist health systems to deal effectively with the legacy of pent up demand from the pandemic which is threatening to overwhelm services. This session seeks to identify and evaluate the different factors that have led to disengagement of staff and assess strategies to improve staff wellbeing, retention and health system recovery, based on quantitative and qualitative research. Three case studies from Ireland distinguish different elements of the problem: 1) an investigation of the dimensions of disengagement and their underlying causes after austerity across staff cadres with particular focus on bullying and discrimination 2) an evaluation of turnover amongst nurses post COVID and the factors which are linked to this, and 3) an examination of racial attitudes and discrimination towards non-Irish health professionals in Irish hospitals. Each study highlights particular factors which have caused disengagement and evaluates their consequences and causes. Together they paint a powerful picture of a health system and its workforce struggling to cope with crisis after crisis, mismanagement and ambitious change programmes. A fourth presentation will compare and contrast this picture with analysis from other high-income countries and examine optimal investment strategies to solve the heath workforce problems. This high-level analysis places the Irish case studies in perspective and allows a more thorough evaluation of key factors and strategies to turn round the situation across Europe. Each presenter will be given a strict deadline of 10 minutes each by the chair and then the audience will be invited to debate the problems identified and strategies proposed to discuss: (i) the appropriate course of action for health systems in Europe at this time, (ii) the conditions under which strategies will achieve the desired results for the health workforce and (iii) how and whether a coordinated approach across Europe would be more effective.

Key messages

• This session will improve understanding of the causes of burnout, disengagement and high turnover amongst the health workforce in order to address these problems.

• Strategies for investing in the education, protection and wellbeing of the European health workforce will be evaluated to assist with our readiness for future shocks.