Health Care As a Labour Market

The need for health workforce innovation and more integrated approaches is increasingly recognized by policymakers, but a lack of knowledge of sustainable professional development constrains efficient implementation. This essay introduces a theory-led matrix for comparing the trajectories of change in different institutional settings and professional groups. The aim is to contribute new knowledge to efficient health workforce development in Europe and, more generally, in resource-rich countries.

Four ideal typical scenarios of professional development were identified from the literature comprising ‘frozen landscape situation’, ‘race-to-the-bottom transformation’, ‘polarisation’ and ‘generalised upgrading’; implications for three health workforce groups were explored. Used as a matrix for comparison, the results revel country-specific trajectories with uneven professional development especially between doctors and nurses. They also bring a need for more monitoring systems into view integrated to support evidence-based health workforce governance.