Human resources in health care system in Estonia – opportunities and challenges Pille Saar Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia
MAIN TOPICS Current situation and statistical figures New HRP model Migration
CURRENT HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE SITUATION IN ESTONIA 5085 registered doctors (3.2 doctors per 1000) including 935 general medical practitioners working in the primary care 9784 registered general nurses (6,9 nurses per 1000) including 673 registered primary health care nurses working in the primary care and 106 registered school nurses working in the primary care
Number of registered and employed health care workers in August, 2005 PhysiciansDentistNursesMidwives Registered working in health care sector not working in health care sector in ESTTOTAL working abroad y or older working outside health care sector
Averaged monthly gross wages of the nurses, compared with the overall average monthly gross wage in Estonia in (EEK) 7
THE NEED FOR HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE IN ESTONIA The need for health care workforce in Estonia 3,2 doctors per dentists per nurses per ,5 midwives per 1000 Number of doctors needed by the year 2015 is 4051 Number of nurses needed by the year 2015 is Expected nurses and doctors ratio:nursesdoctors 1: : :
HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE PLANNING POLICY The number of state commissioned education study places for health care workforce doctors130admitted students specialist training (residency)110 admitted students nurses for general care290 admitted students midwives 40 admitted students MoSa worked out the new health care workforce planning model in 2005 Assumptions Provided health care services in 2003 and health service prognosis in 2015 Expected annual migration is 1.3 % All 65 y.o. doctors and nurses will be retired
Family physicians Number of registered family phys Need for Expected annual migration 1,3 % Retirement Admitted students before Amount of study places lack or oversupply
,5 year study Number of registered nurses Need for Expected annual migration 1,3% Retirement Admitted students before Amount of study places lack or oversupply
THE MAIN REASONS FOR MIGRATION
POLICY ALTERNATIVES 1.Increase 10-20% of the state commissioned educations study places for health workforce 2.Increase the salary - the main reasons for migration - it is not relevant to increase the salary of health care workers who have made the final decision to migrate (better solution is to increase the salaries of young workers and medical residents) - erase the tuition bank loan 3.Improve working conditions, including attitude 4.Use internal resources - decrease falling out from the system - professional counselling 5. Agreements with other countries concerning to avoid the active enlisting
MIGRATIONS COSTS AND BENEFITS BENEFITS Increase of professional experiences COSTS Increase of the state commissioned educations study places for health workforce Increase of the waiting list for treatment Drop of the quality of health care services Ineffective use of the government resources
CONCLUSIONS The international migration is not the biggest problem in the Estonian Health Care sector. The major problem is that 6 % of registered doctors and 13 % of registered nurses do not actually work in the health care sector. The number of really migrated health care workers is about 3 % from the whole number of registered health care workers.
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