Welcome and opening

1. Investing in Europe’s health workforce of tomorrow: scope for innovation and collaborationFollow up to the Green Paper on Europe’s health workforcePolicy dialogueLeuven, Belgium, 26-30 April 2010

2. Welcome and opening • Chair and facilitation: Prof. Walter Sermeus, Centre for Health Services and Nursing Research, KU Leuven • The European CommissionMs Katja Neubauer and Ms Elisabeth Kidd, European Commission, DG Sanco, Health Strategy and Health Systems Unit • The Belgian EU PresidencyMs Riet De Kempeneer, Attaché International and Strategic Coordination, Federal Public Service Public Health, Safety of the Food Chain and Environment, Belgium • Objectives of the policy dialoguesWilly Palm, Dissemination Development Officer, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies • Discussion

3. Workshop 1: Assessing future health workforce needs • Chair and facilitation: • Prof. Zilvinas Padaiga, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania • Dr. Matthias Wismar, Health Policy Analyst, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies • Policy summary on forecasting future health workforce needsProf. Gilles Dussault, Director of the Health Systems Unit at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova, Lisbon, Portugal • Relevant experiences in this field drawn from the participants • Facilitated discussion

4. Workshop 2: Adapting skills and redistribution of tasks • Chair and facilitation:Prof. James Buchan, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Scotland • Policy brief on how to create the best conditions for adapting skills to new needs and for life-long learning? Tanya A. Horsley, Research Associate, Centre for Learning in Practice (CLIP), Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada • Policy brief on how health professionals can be steered towards improving quality and safety of care?Mrs Signe Agnes Flottorp and Mrs. Gro Jamtvedt, Senior Researchers, Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services • Relevant experiences in this field drawn from the participants • Facilitated discussion

5. Workshop 3: Creating a supportive working environment • Chair and facilitation:Prof. James Buchan, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Scotland • Policy brief on how to create an attractive and supportive working environment for health professionals?Mrs Christiane Wiskow, independent HRH consultant, Switzerlandand Dr Tit Albreht, Head of the Centre for Health System Analyses, Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia • Relevant experiences in this field drawn from the participants • Facilitated discussion

6. Workshop 3: Adapting skills and redistribution of tasks • Chair and facilitation:Prof. James Buchan, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Scotland • Policy brief on how to create the best conditions for adapting skills to new needs and for life-long learning? Dr. Matthias Wismar, Health Policy Analyst, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies • Policy brief on how health professionals can be steered towards improving quality and safety of care?Mrs Signe Agnes Flottorp, Senior Researcher, Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services • Relevant experiences in this field drawn from the participants • Facilitated discussion

7. Concluding Session: Supporting innovation and collaboration on health workforce policies in Europe • Chair and facilitation:Prof. Gilles Dussault, Director of the Health Systems Unit at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova, Lisbon, Portugal • Prof. Walter Sermeus, Centre for Health Services and Nursing Research, KU Leuven • Ms Katja Neubauer and Ms Elisabeth Kidd, European Commission, DG Sanco, Health Strategy and Health Systems Unit • Dr. Matthias Wismar, Health Policy Analyst, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies