EPSU Project "Cross-border mobility and recruitment of health workers" (2011-2012)

Dear Colleagues/Chers Collègues/Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen/Estimados Colegas/Bästa kolleger,

Please find below questionnaire on opportunities and challenges related to the cross-border mobility and recruitment of health workforce in Europe addressed to all EPSU affiliates in the field of health and social services.

It has been prepared by a research team at the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, under the direction of Prof. Jane Hardy, in close coordination with the EPSU Secretariat.

QUESTIONNAIRE (University of Hertfordshire and EPSU) on cross-border mobility and recruitment of health workers


The questionnaire has been elaborated in English language. It has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Russian and Swedish as well as into Czech, Italian and Romanian.




Pdf-file EN for info





WORD files in EN, FR, DE, CZ, ES, IT, RO, RU and SV to be used by EPSU affiliates




N.B.: Small mistakes in the EN version of 6 December 2011 were corrected on 15 December 2011 in the EN version and in all other languages when uploading these files on 15 and 16 December 2011. In questions 14 and 17 the word "outward" was replaced by "inward", in question 15 the term "Destination country" by "Country of origin".

Please return the completed questionnaire to the research team at the University of Hertfordshire, Dr. Steven Shelly and to Mathias Maucher, by Monday, 6 February 2012 the latest. Thank you in advance for take time to answer the questions (you can).

It would be much easier for the research team if you could answer in English.


However, answers can be given in all six EPSU languages, i.e. English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Swedish, as well as in Czech, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian.


In case of difficulties with this way to proceed or questions, please contact Mathias Maucher, [email protected], to jointly find a solution.

Please find below the text accompanying the questionnaire.

Dear EPSU affiliate,

Thank you for agreeing to take part in this research which is part of a project financially supported by the European Commission to improve understanding and operation of the EU and Europe 2020 strategy in the health and social services sector and run by EPSU in the context of its European Health Conference 2011 on 18 and 19 October 2011 in Bucharest.

This questionnaire is being sent to all unions affiliated to EPSU, with the aim of identifying the opportunities and challenges related to the cross-border mobility and recruitment of the health care workforce in Europe. Specifically the questions are about the flow of health care workers, recruitment and retention issues, pay and working conditions and the role and activities of trade unions in collective bargaining and social dialogue and beyond.

Section I / Questions 1 to 4 (p. 2) are of general nature to obtain basic information on the respondents.


Section II / Questions 5 to 13 (p. 3 and 4) should be answered by EPSU affiliates in countries from which health workers leave and migrate to other (mostly EU) countries.


Section III / Questions 14 to 20 (p. 5 and 6) should be answered by EPSU affiliates in countries knowing inward migration by health workers from EU MS and/or countries from outside the EU.


Section IV / Questions 21 to 30 (p. 7 and 8) address the role, strategies and activities of EPSU affiliates in the health and social services sector with regard to migrant workers (including undocumented migrants), both within and beyond the social dialogue, the coverage of migrant workers by collective agreements as well as trade union support for their proper induction at the workplace. Building on your expertise to collect information on these questions is of highest interest for us.

Provisional results from the study will be presented at the next EPSU Standing Committee Health and Social Services on 28 March 2012 in Luxembourg and discussed with you, as a first step to further develop EPSU’s policy work related to cross-border mobility and migration of health workers.