Health system resilience and health workforce capacities: health system responses during COVID-19

Abstract Background The present crisis offers a unique opportunity to better understanding the specific contribution of health workforce system resilience, and more specifically adaptive, absorptive transformative capacities that influence how systems respond COVID-19 pandemic. Methods study examined different in context as central prerequisite resilience. We compared policies services responses Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands UK. selection is based on differences types care pandemic burdens first wave. Country experts complied descriptive case studies using written secondary primary sources. Results During wave pandemic, rested broad range capacities. capacity concerned freeing up for newly established Covid-19 wards hospitals. adaptive focused increasing workers. new service offerings. was most visible relation substantive areas delivery at play, less so workforce. lack distinct patterns striking, considering inclusion systems, which differ many counts. Conclusions calls reconceptualization institutional perquisites resilience grasp fully manifold contribution. Governance key effective crisis, professions are part parcel governance frontline workers collective actors. This requires improving strengthening integration governance.