Bulgaria hosts conference on planning and educating a health workforce without borders
On 18–19 February 2016, the Medical University of Varna (Bulgaria) hosted the 3rd and last Conference of the Joint Action Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting within the Health Programme of the European Commission. The Conference theme was planning and educating a health workforce without borders.
More than 230 participants from 24 countries from Europe attended the Conference, including stakeholders and international experts in human resources management in healthcare, politicians and representatives of the Municipality of Varna, and professional and trade union organizations.
The Conference focused on forecasting new skills that could support health systems in the most efficient and effective way, and take into account patients' needs.
Day 1 of the Conference addressed:
- mobility data particularly how to move easily and swiftly towards a European monitoring of health workforce mobility information;
- health workforce education; and
- health workforce mobility across the European Union (EU).
The themes for day 2 were:
- the main consequences of aging on the health workforce and on the growing imbalances between rural and urban areas;
- whether health systems can be financed further without changing their organizations and the roles of health workers; and
- the new skills needed in this changing health context.
Moreover, understanding both the global and national picture is fundamental to address future changes. Demographic changes and an ageing population are common challenges at the EU and global levels. Imbalances between rural areas and cities continue to grow. For these reasons, the connection between policies regarding both demographic changes and health workforce should be strengthened. Additionally, the educational system producing future generations of health workers needs planning proposals for addressing these challenges.
