EU Lobby

1
The enlarged Internal Market in Health
CareConcrete examples of free movement of
nurses
Mobility of Health Professionals
Paul de Raeve, Secretary General PCN
2

• The Standing Committee of Nurses of the EU (PCN)
  was set up in 1971 and its creation was linked to
  the nursing education, the free movement
  directives being drafted by the Commission then.

3
Examples of free movement of nurses win-win
situation

• UK - 42000 internationally recruited nurses
• Main challenges language, differences in
  clinical and technical skills, racism in the
  workplace and the reaction of patients
• Planned Recruitment ensuring that recruited
  nurses have the chance to enhance their skills -
  a win-win situation for both countries

4
Examples of free movement of nurses win-win
situation

• 33 Bulgarian nurses from across the whole country
• Planned recruitment proper induction to work,
  clinical issues, settling in the UK, assessing
  services where they are living.
• Monthly recall days language ability, cultural
  differences in handling/dealing with patients and
  getting used to working in a multi-disciplinary
  environment, with primary care, social services,
  etc.

5
Examples of free movement of nurses win-win
situation

• Norway recruitment of Polish nurses which
  education is in line with the Sectoral Directive.
  
• language training (full time) prior to their
  departure for Norway
• A temporary license up to two years
• Programme stopped (Expensive?)

6
Examples of free movement of nurses win-win
situation

• Temporary employment of Polish nurses in the
  Netherlands due to nursing shortage
• Objective assessing the actual qualification
  level of the Polish education system for nurses
  in comparison with the Dutch education system for
  nurses (BIG-register).
• The Polish government ensures that nurses on
  their return are given an equivalent job in the
  health care sector.

7
Actions at European Level

• Developing good practice in recruitment, ethical
  standards of recruitment and advice to employer,
  at European level, for all health professions.

8
Actions at European Level

• Recruitment and retention of an ageing nursing
  workforce in the European countries.
• Political objectives regarding the human
  resources in the health sector are needed.

9
Actions at European Level

• To development educational standards and
  accredited programmes at European level

10
Actions at European Level

• To set up a European Workforce Monitoring Forum
  and develop further the Health Portal because
  Systematic information and comparable data are
  needed.
• High Level Reflection group concentrating on the
  mobility of health professions including the
  largest occupational workforce

11
Conclusion

• If migration is only temporary, qualifications
  acquired abroad may intensify international
  exchange of experience and result in raising
  quality of care if migrants return to their home
  countries.

12
Conclusion

• The most experienced nurses are needed to develop
  their own national and local health services and
  system.
• Aggressive recruitment practices lead to
  under-resourced and disrupted health services

13
Conclusion

• The main focus of recruitment and retention
  activity of governments should now be to the
  growing nursing capacity within each Member
  State.