Thursday 17th July 2025 11:00 – 13:00 (GMT+1)
Introduction
Health and care workers play a crucial role in safeguarding our global population. However, they can be exposed to chronic workplace stress and high demands, often with insufficient organisational, workplace, and mental health support in place to protect their wellbeing.
The prevalence of mental health issues and burnout among the workforce has serious consequences for health systems, reducing the quality of care, leading to higher turnover and rates of migration, and lowering productivity.
Employers and health systems must prioritise the occupational health and safety of those who deliver care. Alongside a duty of care to protect their workforce, improving staff experience offers opportunities for health systems to yield significant benefits through increased retention and productivity.
This seminar will explore the following questions:
- What is it to burn out?
- What are the most prevalent causes of burnout among health and care workers?
- What does the evidence show are effective ways to improve health and care workers experience and protect them against high stress and burnout?
- How can data and digital technology be used to better understand and combat workforce burnout?
- What low-cost innovations and strategies can be used to improve staff experience and retention?
Seminar Recording
Meet our Panel
Dr Shriti Pattani, Our Seminar Chair
Shriti is the National Clinical Expert in Occupational Health and Wellbeing for NHS England and the Clinical Director, Consultant in Occupational Medicine and Head of Service of an Occupational Health and Wellbeing service for a large Acute Trust in London. She has both national and international expertise in the Health of Healthcare workers with experience working with WHO as their independent expert in occupational health and wellbeing.
Dr Zolelwa Sifumba, Expert Speaker
Zolelwa, founder of When Healers Connect, is a South African medical doctor and global health advocate focused on protecting the rights and wellbeing of health workers. Drawing from her own lived experience with occupational illness and systemic challenges in the health sector, she has become an influential voice in international health advocacy, particularly on issues of mental health and health worker safety. Dr. Sifumba has collaborated with global organizations, bravely shared her story on international platforms, and influenced policies to improve working conditions for frontline health workers worldwide.
Nick Pahl, Expert Speaker
Nick is CEO of the Society of Occupational Medicine and has held senior roles in the NHS, Hospice UK, and MSI. He holds degrees in Economics and Public Health, and a management diploma. He is a Trustee of the British Geriatrics Society, Chair of ROSPA’s Occupational Health Committee, and adviser to Global Health Partners. In 2025, he received the Faculty of Public Health’s President’s Medal. He also judges health awards and is Honorary Secretary of an international occupational health group.
Lars Münter, Expert Speaker
Lars is the International Director of the Nordic Wellbeing Academy and Development Director at the European Health Futures Forum. He works at the intersection of health promotion, systems innovation, and public participation, advancing equity-focused and future-oriented approaches to wellbeing and sustainability across Europe. As a member of the WHO Strategic Partners Initiative on Data and Digital Health he’s exploring pathways for using AI and digital tools for good in burnout prevention.
Maren Hopfe, Expert Speaker
Maren is the Technical Officer for the health services sector at the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Sectoral Policies Department. Her work focuses on promoting rights at work, decent employment, social protection, and social dialogue in the health sector. She coordinates the ILO’s role in the joint ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health programme, supporting countries in expanding and transforming their health and care workforce to meet the 2030 SDGs. Maren holds a PhD in Health Sciences and Health Policy and has diverse experience across health systems, including health tech financing, clinical trial management, international health standards, and rehabilitation impact assessment.
Dr Meredith Fendt-Newlin, Expert Speaker
Meredith is a Technical Officer and Mental Health Focal Point in the Health Workforce Department at the World Health Organization where her work focuses on the protection and support of health and care workers. She coordinates strategic partnerships, including the Working for Health Programme, which accelerates country action on education, jobs, retention/decent work for the health and care workforce. With expertise in health systems strengthening and mental health, Meredith has helped shape policy guidance and interventions to protect the psychological wellbeing of health and care workers worldwide.
Philip Ayieko, Expert Speaker
Philip is a Statistical Epidemiologist with a research interest in health systems. Philip’s research career spans 20 years having worked at Kenya Medical Research Institute and at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine where he is Assistant Professor. He has published on the Kenyan and Tanzanian health systems among other African countries. More recently he led a survey of wellbeing among frontline health workers in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.