Planning and managing the health care workforce: how can economics help?

Abstract: The UK NHS employs around 1.6 million people, it is one of the world’s largest single employer labour forces (recently reported at no. 5 in the top ten, behind the US Department of Defence, McDonalds, Walmart and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army). Workforce expenditure exceeds any other area of the NHS. But economic analysis of the NHS labour force remains relatively under-developed.

This seminar will include a ‘whistle-stop’ tour of economic  issues in the health care workforce. I will focus on the medical workforce, while including other professions and staff groups. I will report my own research in this area, and that of other researchers, as well as identifying gaps in the evidence base and areas where (hopefully) economics can contribute much more.