On 13 December 2022, BeWell launched its large-scale partnership for the health ecosystem under the European Pact for Skills. More than 80 people attended the online event, organised by the BeWell alliance which is keen on shaping the health workforce of the future.
The pact and partnership received these two dynamic endorsement from the European Commissioners for Jobs and Social Rights and Health and Safety.
Introduced by George VALIOTIS, executive director of EHMA, Director-General of DG Santé, Sandra GALLINA launched the session.
Ahead of 2023 becoming the European Year of Skills, Director-General GALLINA emphasised the (currently) “silent emergency” occurring in the health and care. It is now becoming “a real issue for multiple reasons”. These health and care fields are replete with workforce shortages in terms of numbers, skills, and a situation made worse by the impacts of COVID-19. The director-general encouraged the new BeWell Partnership to “be bold”, to work in synergy with other actors/actions, and to come up with new solutions.
Among those new solutions will be a focus on the need for both digital skills and green skills, and the kinds of training and education that are available to the health and care workforces. The Partnership’s aims and goals are written up in its Manifesto. EUREGHA director, Michele CALABRO’, offered insights into the Manifesto’s details.
Four panellists from leading stakeholder groupings intervened. They represented the collective public sector trade unions across Europe; a research institution; a regional health and care authority; and the nursing professions. They came from EPSU, Brussels; NIVEL, the Netherlands; the Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark; and EFN, Brussels. The four offered their views on the keen relevance of the Manifesto for their members, and expectations for how it can help build knowledge of current and future skills’ needs.
Among the Partnership founding partners are associations, like EHTEL, which have a focus on digital, data, and the importance of digital health literacy.
Hence, with special reference to digital skills, the Manifesto emphasises this challenge:
“[D]eveloping skills which support the health sector’s transformation is essential. Digitalisation is core to this transformative process, a key towards better health outcomes, strengthened and supported practitioner-patient relationships, interdisciplinarity, and health systems resilience.”
Much more on the Partnership is available, including the means to sign up. Since co-creation is at the core of this initiative, new Partnership members are very welcome!