Human resources for health

Question 1

Why is human resources important

Answer 1

Humans - ALL healthcare staff essential for healthcare to run
- from receptionists to consultants
45% of NHS budget spent on workforce

Question 2

• what if they leave the setting they were trained?

Answer 2

• cost of training a doctor important

Question 3

What is the WHO code of practice

Answer 3

The Code 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. - exacerbates inequalities

The Code was designed by Member States to serve as a continuous and dynamic framework for global dialogue and cooperation.

Question 4

issues influencing move away from own healthcare system

Answer 4

• economic
• difference in qualifications
• safe environment
• good and regular salary - comfort
• meet government interests with personal interests to meet everyone’s needs
• doctors will leave if you do not pay them enough
• communication is key
• compassion, interpersonal relationships
• specialist skills required
• safeguarding and ethics
• global health issues

Question 5

wicked challenge of human resources for health key points

Answer 5

Key points
a. The provision of high-quality health and social care relies on individual practitioner. It
is a human resource-intensive business: 44% of the NHS costs are salaries.
b. The market for qualified health professionals is global. There are marked inequalities
in the distribution of staff both between countries and within.
c. Training professionals takes time and money, but simply training more professionals
is not always the answer. Retaining staff by creating positive working environments
and conditions (including pay) are important for ensuring health system stability.
d. Increasingly demographic pressures and new technology present both challenges
and opportunities to innovate and address the workforce gaps: by creating new
professional groups and revising scopes of practice.
e. The ethics of international recruitment (i.e. active approaches to drawing in
professionals) are fraught and such approaches have tended to exacerbate
inequalities. This has led to the WHO’s Global Code of Practice on International
Recruitment of Health Personnel