Responses to the consultation

	Government
	National Parliaments
	European Consultative Body
	Regulators
	International organisations
	Insurance
	Service providers
	Doctors
	Nurses
	Allied health professionals
	Social Care
	Patients
	Trade unions and employer organisations
	Industry
	Academia
	Other Organisations
	Individuals

Government

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
Austria	AT
Belgium	BE
Flanders	BE
Cyprus	CY
Czech Republic	CZ
Danish Regions	DK
Denmark	DK
Castilla y León	ES
Catalunya	ES
Canarias	ES
Finland	FI
Association of Finnish Local Regional Authorities - Commission for the Local Authority Employers	FI
France	FR
Germany	DE
Bavaria	DE
Hungary	HU
Ireland	IE
Latvia	LV
Malta	MT
Sveriges Kommuner	SE
Sweden	SE
The Netherlands	NL
UK Government	UK
Local Government Association (England)	UK
North West of England Health Community	UK
Assembly of European Regions (AER)	European stakeholders
CEMR Council of European Municipalities and Regions	European stakeholders
Albania	Albania
Canada	Canada
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)	Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

National Parliaments

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
Swedish Parliament	SE
Danish Parliament	DK

European Consultative Body

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
European Economic and Social Committee	European stakeholders

Regulators

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
An Bord Altranais	IE
CHRE Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence	UK
Conseil national de l'Ordre des Médecins	FR
Deutscher Richterbund	DE
General Medical Council	UK
HPC Health Professions Council	UK
ONCD Ordre National des Chirurgiens-Dentistes France	FR
National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery	IE
Nursing and Midwifery Council	UK
ONSF Ordre des Sages-femmes France	FR
UK Public Health Register	UK
HPCB Healthcare Professionals Crossing Borders	European stakeholders
FEPI European Council of Nursing Regulators	European stakeholders
FORE Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe	European stakeholders

International organisations

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
ILO	Worldwide
IOM	Worldwide
WHO	Worldwide

Insurance

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
BGW - Berufsgenossenschaft für Gesundheitsdienste und Wohlfahrtpflege	DE
Assurance maladie obligatoire française	FR
Fédération Nationale de la Mutualité Française	FR
AEIP European Association of Paritarian Institutions	European stakeholders
AIM	Worldwide

Service providers

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
DKGEV Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft e.V.	DE
NHS Confederation, UK National Health Service	UK
NVZ Netherlands	NL
EAHSA European Association for Housing and Services for the Ageing	European stakeholders
EASPD – European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities	European stakeholders
EDE European Association for Directors of Residencial-Gare Homes for the Elderly	European stakeholders
EHMA European Health Management Association	European stakeholders
HOPE European Hospital and Healthcare Federation	European stakeholders
HOSPEEM European Hospital and Healthcare Employers' Association	European stakeholders

Doctors

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
CIPSI	IT
Association Belge des Syndicats Medicaux	BE
Austrian Medical Chamber	AT
BLZK Bayern Dentists	DE
BDA British Dental Association	UK
British Medical Association	UK
Consejo General de Colegios Médicos de Espana	ES
Syndicat des Médecins Libéraux	FR
FVDZ Freie Verband Deutscher Zahnärzte e.V.	DE
German Federal Dental Chamber	DE
German Medical Association	DE
Irish Medical Organisation	IE
KBV - Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung	DE
Marburger Bund Germany	DE
Royal College of General Practioners	UK
Royal College of Physicians London	UK
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh	UK
Royal College of Radiologists	UK
SNPHAR	FR
Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine	ES
VDBW Verband Deutscher Werksarzte	DE
VNVA - Vereniging van Nederlandse Vrouwelijke Artsen	NL
Naczelna Izba Lekarska - Polish Medical Doctors´ Chamber	PL
CAMDOC - CAM doctors' association	European stakeholders
CED Council of European Dentists	European stakeholders
CPME	European stakeholders
ESICM European Society of Intensive Care Medicine	European stakeholders
European Society of Radiology (ESR)	European stakeholders
EUGMS European Union Geriatric Medicine Society	European stakeholders
ERS European Respiratory Society	European stakeholders
ESMO European Society for Medical Oncology	European stakeholders
UEMS European Union of Medical Specialists	European stakeholders
UEMO European Union of General Practitioners Family Physicians	European stakeholders
The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics – European Region	European stakeholders
IVAA - International Federation of Anthroposophic Medical Associations	Worldwide

Nurses

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
Nursind	IT
Danish Nurses' Organization	DK
INO Irish Nurses Organisation	IE
INO Irish Nurses Organisation Midwives' Section	IE
ÖGKV Austria	AT
RCM Royal College of Midwives	UK
Royal College of Nursing	UK
SAE	ES
Tehy Nurses	FI
EFN	European stakeholders
European Specialist Nurses Organizations	European stakeholders
Federation of Occupational Health Nurses	European stakeholders

Allied health professionals

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
BPtK Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer	DE
Psychotherapeuten Vereinigung	DE
DVE Deutscher Verband Der Ergotherapeuten	DE
DDHV Verbandes - Deutschen DentalhygienikerInnen Verband e.V.	DE
Irish Speech Therapists	IE
BNLD Berufsvereinigung der Naturwissenschaftler in der Labordiagnostik	DE
UNSAF Union Nationale des Syndicats d'Audioprothésistes Français	FR
AEA l'Association Européenne des Audioprothésistes	European stakeholders
CLPUE Podologues	European stakeholders
COTEC Council of Occupational Therapists European Countries	European stakeholders
EMA European Midwives Association (EMA)	European stakeholders
ER-WC Physical Therapy	European stakeholders
EFRS European Federation of Radiographer Societies	European stakeholders
European Chiropractors' union	European stakeholders
Federation Europeenne des Osteopathes	European stakeholders

Social Care

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
BAGFW	DE
BPA - Bundesverband privater Anbieter sozialer Dienste e.V. Bundesgeschäftsstelle	DE
Deutsche Caritasverband e.V	DE
Eurocarers	European stakeholders
European Social Network	European stakeholders

Patients

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
Age Concern	UK
Irish Senior Citizens´ Parliament	IE
AGE	European stakeholders
COFACE Confederation of Family Organisations	European stakeholders
EMHF European Men's Health Forum	European stakeholders
European Patients' Forum	European stakeholders
European Institute of Womens Health	European stakeholders

Trade unions and employer organisations

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
BDA — the German Employers’ Federation	DE
CFE-CGC France	FR
FIPSU Finland	FI
FSSDR Federatia Solidaritatea Sanitaria Din Romania	RO
ÖGB - Austrian Trade Union Federation	AT
ÖGB-Fachgruppenvereinigung für Gesundheitsberufe	AT
SIPTU Ireland	IE
UNPS Union Nationale des Professionnels de Santé	FR
Ver.di Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft – ver.di	DE
Trade Union of Health Service and Social Care	CZ
EPSU European Federation of Public Service Unions	European stakeholders

Industry

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
AESGP	European stakeholders
EDMA - European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association	European stakeholders
Eucomed	European stakeholders
European Vaccine Manufacturers EVM	European stakeholders
Novartis	Worldwide
Philips	Worldwide

Academia

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
Council of Deans of Health	UK
Edinburgh Napier University	UK
Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery	UK
IEGUS	DE
Instituto de Medicina Tropical	PT
Maria Arminda Costa and others - Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto	PT
National University of Ireland	IE
Praxis Dienste Germany	DE
School of Health Sciences	UK
Tur an Tur integrationsprojekte	DE
UESCE	ES
ASPHER Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region	European stakeholders
AMSE Association of Medical Schools in Europe	European stakeholders
ENOTHE European Network in Occupational Therapy in Higher Education	European stakeholders
EPSA European Pharmaceutical Students' Association	European stakeholders
EASL European Association for the Study of the Liver	European stakeholders
FINE European Federation of Nurse Educators	European stakeholders

Other Organisations

ORGANISATION	ORIGIN
BAK Austria	AT
ECCH, EFCAM, HHWF Homeopathy	European stakeholders
EuroHealthNet	European stakeholders
European Forum for Primary Care	European stakeholders
European Health and Fitness Association	European stakeholders
EPHA European Public Health Alliance	European stakeholders
European Society for Quality in Healthcare's	European stakeholders
CEPLIS	European stakeholders
SEE Health Network	European stakeholders
Pharmaceutical group of the european union (PGEU)	European stakeholders
HPRO Card	European stakeholders
African Heart Network	Worldwide
VSO Voluntary Services Overseas	Worldwide
Wemos	Worldwide

Individuals

NAME	ORIGIN
Axel Schwartz	DE
Edel McSharry and others - supported by MEP Harkin	IE
Georgi Todorov	BG
Gerardo Zamora Monge	ES
Kevin Holland-Elliott	UK
Mary Higgins	IE
Maurice Fitzgerald	IE
Oliver Clinton	IE
Wesselin Angelov	BG
Xavier Barthes	FR
Yves Ossette	FR

For any questions regarding this consultation, you can send an email to the following address: SANCO-health-workforceATec.europa.eu

This public consultation process set out to obtain stakeholders' views on a wide range of issues connected with the healthcare workforce and preparing for the care of an ageing population. The results of the consultation will feed into the Commission's consideration of what the EU can do to support Member States in tackling these challenges.

The consultation closed on 10 April 2009.

The Commission received a total number of 200 responses to the consultation that were broken down in several categories.

Ensuring that health professionals can easily access job and training opportunities in another EU country can not only benefit these individuals, but also help to rectify imbalances between countries that have too many or too few professionals in a given field.

Mutual recognition of professional qualifications

Directive 2005/36/EC on recognition of professional qualifications set up a Europe-wide legal framework enabling countries to recognise each other's qualifications. Health professions (doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists, vets) enjoy automatic recognition – meaning that if you are a certified practitioner in your home country, you are automatically entitled to practice anywhere in the EU.

Directive 2013/55/EU, amended the professional qualifications directive simplifying the rules to make it easier for health and other regulated professionals to practise in other EU countries.

Professional qualifications – more info

Mobility and migration of health professionals

Two EU research projects aim to help develop a more accurate picture of health workforce migration patterns both within the EU and between the EU and other countries:

Mitigating the negative effects of migration on health systems

Health worker migration has increased worldwide over the past decades, especially from lower income countries with already fragile health systems. To address this challenge, the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel was adopted.

It aims to establish and promote voluntary principles and practices for the ethical international recruitment of health personnel and to facilitate the strengthening of health systems. Member States should discourage active recruitment of health personnel from developing countries facing critical shortages of health workers.