During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals have needed protective equipment so that they can safely care for patients. These protective materials are distributed both within hospitals and by employers within healthcare institutions. However, it is also essential to provide the necessary equipment to healthcare professionals active in the outpatient sector.
To ensure efficient distribution of this equipment, the first step was to identify these healthcare professionals. The ‘Healthcare professions & practice’ department of the FPS HSFCE compiled a list of healthcare professionals working in the outpatient sector. To this end, various data sources were brought together from the FPS HSFCE, the NIHDI, the National Institute for the Social Security of the Self-Employed (NISSE) and the National Social Security Office (NSSO).
Based on this exercise, a list of 158,704 healthcare professionals active in the outpatient sector was drawn up.
NUMBER OF CARE PROVIDERS ACTIVE IN AMBULATORY CARE
(MARCH/APRIL 2021)
In order to simplify the identification of the active healthcare professionals in future, the Act on high quality in healthcare practice (22 April 2019) establishes that a register should be kept (Art. 42). This should include a general description of the healthcare provided by each healthcare professional, the place where this care is provided, and any collaboration agreements with other professionals. The register will contain all healthcare professionals authorised to exercise their profession in Belgium and will in future allow us to know who is active in which sector and which location.
It will include appropriate means of communication in the event of a crisis. This will allow us to easily contact and deploy the relevant professionals in a future crisis.