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DownloadCOUNTRY: Belgium
KNOWLEDGE BROKERS:
Pascale Steinberg, Head of Health Care Professions Planning Unit, FPS Public Health, Belgium
Veerle Vivet, statistician and analyst, FPS Public Health, Belgium
SEPEN thanks the knowledge brokers for their contribution in checking and completing the country-information. SEPEN is accountable for the content of the country profiles.
| Type of information | Source | Year | Remarks |
| Table 1: Health workforce stock and replacement | OECD;
HWF STATAN 2018 report, FPS Public Health, Belgium |
2019 | Age characteristics of the nursing stock are retrieved from the HWF STATAN 2018 report, FPS Public Health, Belgium |
| Figure 1: Mobility level in absolute numbers | OECD | 2018 | Only immigration data for OECD countries are available. The data produced are therefore incomplete. Not all OECD-countries register the country of origin of incoming health professionals and some do not register incoming health professionals at all. Emigration data are based on immigration numbers in other OECD-countries, as emigration as such is not registered nor reported. |
| Figure 2a: Number of practicing physicians per 1000 inhabitants | Eurostat | 2018 | Figure 2a presents regional distribution of physicians. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Figure 2b: Number of practicing nurses and midwives per 1000 inhabitants | Global Health Observatory data repository, WHO | 2017 | Figure 2b presents regional distrubution of nursing and midwifery. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Statistic | Number | Data Year |
| Total population | 11 455 519 | 2019 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81,7 | 2018 |
Source: Eurostat
| Licensed to practice | Practising | Professionally active | |||||
| Statistic | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Data year |
| Physicians | 63 615 | 5,59 | 35 069 | 3,08 | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
| > Generalist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | 12 992 | 1,14 | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
| > Specialist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | 21 630 | 1,90 | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
| Nurses | 204 256 | 17,96 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
| Midwives | 12.417 | 1,09 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
| Dentists | 11 440 | 1,01 | 8 516 | 0,75 | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
| Pharmacists | 21 413 | 1,88 | 14 084 | 1,24 | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
| Physiotherapists | Not reported | Not reported | 23 001 | 2,02 | Not reported | Not reported | 2017 |
Source: OECD
| Statistic | Number | per 1000 inhabitants | Data Year |
| Speech-language pathologists | 14 955 | 1,31 | 2018 |
| Technical pharmaceutical assistant | 12 754 | 1,12 | 2018 |
| Dieticians | 5 873 | 0,52 | 2018 |
| Hearing-aid specialists | 1 794 | 0,16 | 2018 |
| Audiologists | 1 238 | 0,11 | 2018 |
| Occupational therapists | 11 458 | 1,01 | 2018 |
| Orthoptist | 133 | 0,01 | 2018 |
Source: HWF STATAN 2018 report
| Federal Public Service of Health | In charge of federal health strategies and secretary of the planning commission. | https://www.health.belgium.be/en |
| Department of Education and Training of the Flemish Region | In charge of higher education policies. | https://onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/ |
| General Administration of Education of the French speaking Community of Belgium | In charge of higher education policies. | http://www.federation-wallonie-bruxelles.be/index.php?id=93&no_cache=1&tx_cfwbdatacerbere_pi1%5BcaId%5D=2775 |
| National register of health care professions | Mandatory registration for receiving the licence to practice. | https://www.health.belgium.be/en/node/27933 |
| Various social security and pensions institutions through the Crossroads Bank for Social Security (CBSS) and its Data Warehouse of Labour market and Social protection. | Supports data management of the social security processes across the departments in charge. Provides information on health workforce activity and health consumption. | https://www.ksz-bcss.fgov.be/en |
| Professional associations and chambers | Professional chambers are in charge of ethical issues (Physicians, Pharmacist).
Professional associations deliver advice through the official advisory board per profession or per sector but also as members of the commission (see stakeholders). |
https://www.ordomedic.be/fr/page-d-accueil/
https://www.ordredespharmaciens.be/default.aspx?ID=14&PT=2&G=24&GRT=5&lang=2 https://organesdeconcertation.sante.belgique.be/fr/organe-d%E2%80%99avis-et-de-concertation |
| Sciensano (scientific institute of public health) | Health indicators and trends for Belgium. | https://www.sciensano.be/en |
The representation in the Planning Commission is defined by law. Individual experts are designated nominatively. When a sector is made up of various organisations, it is up to them to elect the number of representatives defined by this law. No website is available for these individuals and if we consider the abundance of bodies/organisation that elect them, this list is not relevant. Therefore, this section only lists the type of members per category.
The role of all representatives is common: giving advice.
| Minister of Public Health |
| Minister of Social Affairs |
| Flemish Region |
| French speaking Community of Belgium |
| German speaking Community of Belgium |
| National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance |
| Professional organisations of General Practitioners |
| Professional organisations of Physician specialists |
| Professional organisations of Dentists |
| Professional organisations of Physiotherapists |
| Professional organisations of nurses |
| Professional organisations of midwives |
| Professional organisations of speech therapists |
| Universities of the Flemish Community |
| Universities of the French speaking community |
| Original name | Loi coordonnée du 10 mai 2015 relative à l’exercice des professions des soins de santé. |
| Name in English | Coordinated Law of May 10, 2015 relating to the exercise of healthcare professions |
| Short description | Articles 91 and 92 define the framework within which an adequate health workforce can be supplied, and also defines the mission, roles and functioning of the Planning Commission to achieve this aim. |
| Publication date | 10 May 2015 |
| Link to full text | http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=fr&la=F&cn=2015051006&table_name=loi |
| Original name | Belgian use case on health workforce planning |
| Name in English | |
| Short description | The “Handbook on Health Workforce Planning methodologies across EU countries” publication describes in detail the Belgian planning system (e.g. goals, organisation, link to policy actions). In addition, it presents two good practices from Belgium: the involvement of stakeholders in the planning system and the methodology of data collection and full-time equivalent calculation. |
| Publication date | 2015 |
| Link to full text | http://healthworkforce.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/150306_WP5_D052-Handbook-on-HWF-Planning-Methodologies-across-EU-Countries_Release-1_Final-version.pdf |
| Original name | Impulseo 1, 2 & 3 |
| Name in English | N/A |
| Short description | Financial incentives for the settlement and the organisation of General Practitioner practices |
| Publication date | N/A |
| Link to full text | https://www.inami.fgov.be/fr/professionnels/sante/medecins/impulseo/Pages/default.aspx |
There are various publications on performance. Below is the most recent overview.
| Original name | Performance of the Belgian Health System – Report 2019 |
| Name in English | |
| Short description | An evaluation of the performance of the Belgian health system, to help improve the health for citizens living in Belgium. |
| Publication date | 25 April 2019 |
| Link to full text | https://kce.fgov.be/sites/default/files/atoms/files/KCE_313C_Performance_Belgian_health_system_Report.pdf |
| Original name | Mobilité internationale des médecins (2020) |
| Name in English | International migration of physicians (2020) |
| Short description | This report analyses the inflow and outflow of physicians – which has an impact on the forecast of ideal intake in the Belgian education system to meet the health insurance admission quota (pre-defined number of publicly reimbursed practices). The data allow to observe the main trends during the 2004-2018 period. |
| Publication date | 10 March 2020 |
| Link to full text | https://organesdeconcertation.sante.belgique.be/fr/documents/hwf-note-mobilite-internationale-des-medecins-2020 |
| Original name | SEPEN WORKSHOP “Dialogue on key health workforce planning data definitions”
Session : Intake and output of the education system Case study in Belgium |
| Name in English | |
| Short description | This presentation highlights the issue of foreign physicians graduating inside and outside of the training quota |
| Publication date | 30 October 2018 |
| Link to full text | www.healthworkforce.eu |
| Original name | 16 JUIN 2006. – Décret régulant le nombre d’étudiants dans certains cursus de premier cycle de l’enseignement supérieur. |
| Name in English | JUNE 16, 2006. – Decree regulating the number of students in certain undergraduate courses in higher education. |
| Short description | Art. 4 and 5 of the Decree define the calculation and procedure that applies for identifying and handling the excess of foreign, non-resident registrations. |
| Publication date | Last update on 29 March 2017 |
| Link to full text | http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=fr&la=F&cn=2006061635&table_name=loi |
| Original name | Rapport annuel 2018 de la Commission de planification – offre médicale. Suivi de la planification de l’offre médicale en Belgique, Cellule Planification des professions des soins de santé, DG Soins de Santé, SPF Santé publique, Sécurité de la Chaîne alimentaire et Environnement, 2019. |
| Name in English | Annual report of the Planning Commission – – Medical supply |
| Short description | This report which refers to the detailed work of the commission, includes a full description of the procedure of defining quotas for admissions to the reimbursed practices of physicians, dentists, and physiotherapists. All latest proposals are available on the website. |
| Publication date | 1 October 2019 |
| Link to full text | FR : https://organesdeconcertation.sante.belgique.be/fr/documents/hwf-rapport-annuel-2018-rapan
NL : https://overlegorganen.gezondheid.belgie.be/nl/documenten/hwf-jaarverslag-2018-rapan All latest recommendations are covered in these pages. |
| Original name | Een zorgjob, ik ga ervoor |
| Name in English | A job in healthcare, I’m going for it |
| Short description | Permanent campaign to make the healthcare career more attractive among the young population |
| Publication date | N/A |
| Link to full text | https://www.ikgaervoor.be/ |
| Original name | Skills recognition for clinical psychologists and clinical remedial teachers within the healthcare professions |
| Name in English | N/A |
| Short description | Through the web pages of the FPS health, all information on the professions is accessible, describing the legal framework, advisory boards, and publication for each professional group. |
| Publication date | N/A |
| Link to full text | FR: https://organesdeconcertation.sante.belgique.be/fr/profession |
| Original name | Regulated professions in Belgium and legal framework applying |
| Name in English | |
| Short description |
CPD requirements are profession specific.The CPD itself is organised through different actors, controlled by the language communities. No platform is available at national level. The professions portal of the FPS Health lists the regulated professions and collects the relevant legal framework applying. |
| Publication date | |
| Link to full text | FR : https://www.health.belgium.be/fr/sante/prenez-soin-de-vous/themes-pour-les-patients/soins-de-sante-transfrontaliers/dispensateurs-0 |
Not reported
| Original name | 1733 – Doctors on call |
| Name un English | |
| Short description | Dispatching of GPs out of hours and coordination with emergency care. |
| Publication date | N/A |
| Link to full text | https://www.health.belgium.be/en/health/need-call-doctor-call-1733 |
| Original name | Various types of financial intervention for supporting physicians |
| Name in English | N/A |
| Short description | Provides different types of financial grants for General Practitioners (GPs), specialists, internship supervisors, such as accreditation fee support to cover a part of training expenses or integrated practice bonus for GPs using e-Health services. |
| Publication date | N/A |
| Link to full text | FR: https://www.inami.fgov.be/fr/professionnels/sante/medecins/aide/Pages/default.aspx
NL : https://www.inami.fgov.be/nl/professionals/individuelezorgverleners/artsen/hulp/Paginas/default.aspx |
Not reported
Not reported
Last updated: 10 October 2020
The country fiches are produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in the country sheets are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study.
Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission’s/Executive Agency’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
This website was produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this website. Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission's / Executive Agency's behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.