Healthcare expert: 'Staff shortages in healthcare are actually an absenteeism problem'
For years, the message in the Netherlands has been that there is a major shortage of personnel in the healthcare sector. Hospitals and nursing homes are struggling to fill vacancies, which often leads to a high workload for existing staff. However, healthcare expert Kjeld Aij now argues that the core of the problem lies elsewhere than we previously thought.
According to Aij, there is no shortage of people in the Dutch healthcare sector, but rather a structural absenteeism problem. He points out that many employees are dropping out due to illness or burnout symptoms. If healthcare workers remained healthy and motivated, he believes there would be enough people to carry out the work.
This perspective shifts the discussion from recruiting new staff to retaining current employees. According to Aij, the focus should be more on improving working conditions and reducing the workload. In this way, healthcare institutions can prevent their employees from being out of work for long periods.
The debate over the right approach to the personnel crisis in healthcare remains topical. While many institutions continue to invest in recruitment campaigns, this statement calls for a different strategy. It remains to be seen whether healthcare organizations will focus more on the well-being of their current staff in the future to reduce absenteeism.