Beyond the Barriers: At Home in The Hague's Healthcare Sector

In recent years, many refugees, displaced persons and labour migrants with a healthcare background, referred to in our research as international healthcare professionals, have come to the Netherlands. Many have an educational background and/or work experience in healthcare and live in The Hague. However, many work outside the healthcare sector, for example in retail, agriculture and horticulture or cleaning. This is partly due to various barriers that make entering the healthcare sector difficult. Zorgpilot Haaglanden plays a crucial role in addressing these barriers.

Zorgpilot Haaglanden is a collaboration between the Municipality of The Hague, Respectzorg, ROC Mondriaan and The Hague University of Applied Sciences. It develops solutions for the The Hague region. These solutions are studied through exploratory and participatory action research by the Urban Social Development research group. The aim is to achieve a better balance between supply and demand in the healthcare and social care labour market and in education, enabling employers to recruit sufficient staff with the right competencies.

Project Background: The Growing Gap

The healthcare sector in the Netherlands faces major challenges. Due to an ageing population, demand for care will increase significantly in the coming decades. By 2050, the Netherlands is expected to have 5.4 million people aged 65 and over and 2.6 million people aged 80 and over. At the same time, staff shortages are increasing rapidly, particularly in nursing and care. Shortages are also growing across the Haaglanden region. Fewer students are choosing healthcare programmes, while many healthcare professionals are approaching retirement age. The combination of rising demand and a shrinking workforce makes structural solutions increasingly urgent.

The growing gap between rising demand for care and the declining number of healthcare professionals requires new solutions. This is particularly important in a city such as The Hague, where healthcare has major economic and societal importance. International healthcare professionals, with their knowledge, experience and motivation, can play an important role in addressing these shortages. However, they often face significant barriers when entering or re-entering the Dutch labour market.

Zorgpilot Haaglanden was established to overcome these barriers and make better use of the talent within this group. This generates research questions relevant to local policy, education and healthcare practice. The project generates and shares knowledge and insights that contribute to more inclusive policies and healthcare and educational practices.

Together, we are building an inclusive healthcare sector by removing barriers and making talent visible!

- Senior researcher Anita Ham

Objective

The research projects have the following objectives:

1. Exploring the experiences, needs and expectations of international healthcare professionals in The Hague to identify barriers and possible solutions.
2. Developing better labour market policies to improve the match between supply and demand.
3. Developing tailored education that creates an impact on healthcare practice in The Hague as a city of knowledge and education.

Target Group

International healthcare professionals living in the Haaglanden region, including status holders, displaced persons, labour migrants, expats and spouses with a background in healthcare, social care or education.

Method

The exploratory research consists of interviews and informal conversations conducted during fieldwork. Based on the collected data, theatrical monologues were developed and filmed with local amateur actors to serve as reflective material.

Participatory action research is used to follow the implementation of proposed solutions aimed at improving labour market policies, developing tailored education and contributing to a more inclusive healthcare sector.

Results

The research is conducted in co-creation with the partners of Zorgpilot Haaglanden and involves international and local healthcare professionals as well as students from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Together, they identify barriers and develop potential solutions. The partners also collaborate in sharing the findings, ensuring that the research reaches policymakers, international and local healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations in The Hague.

Students delivered their project outputs in February, and the findings from the exploratory research were shared with the Municipality of The Hague at the end of April. The research findings are also presented to the municipality and professionals in the field during dedicated meetings.

Good practice

• The Hague Dental Care Bus: A Learning and Working Environment on Wheels

Impact

The research promotes inclusion, supports educational innovation and strengthens the quality of healthcare. The findings provide input for better labour market policies and tailored education, with a direct impact on healthcare practices in the Haaglanden region.

Duration

2024 – 2025

Funding

This research is funded by The Hague University of Applied Sciences and the Municipality of The Hague.

Collaboration

• Municipality of The Hague
• Respectzorg
• ROC Mondriaan

Team

The research team consists of:

• Anita Ham
• Zsuzsu Tavy
• Denise Jonker
• Rintje Wijngaard
• Umesh Khasa

The project also involves several students from:

• the Faculty of Health, Nutrition & Sport 
• the minor Creating a Healthy Future
• International Public Policy and Leadership
• Public Administration and Government Management

Contact

[email protected]