Dr Annie Sorbie and Dr Mary Tumelty publish policy brief on Regulating for the Healthcare Workforce of the Future
Wed 29 October 2025
The policy brief published in October 2025 by Dr Annie Sorbie, University of Edinburgh, and Dr Mary Tumelty, University of Cork, is part of the joint ‘Regulating for the Workforce of the Future: Addressing the Healthcare Workforce Crisis in Scotland and Ireland’.
The project, funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) as part of the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Network Grants, explores the tripartite relationship between (i) professional regulation; (ii) its role in addressing the workforce crisis; and (iii) the promotion of an economy that values the well-being of patients and professionals.
The policy brief outlines some of the key themes that emerged from two roundtable events and shares an interdisciplinary research agenda that identifies ways in which professional regulation can either help or hinder the crisis.
The four key themes arising from the workshops were:
- the multifaceted nature of the crisis
- recognising and regulating new professions
- remote and rural working
- the changing role of professional regulation
Dr Sorbie said: "We were delighted to have the opportunity to engage with key regulatory stakeholders in Ireland and in Scotland in order to draw together this interdisciplinary research agenda which reconsiders the role of professional regulation in addressing the healthcare workforce crisis. We look forward to further developing aspects of this work in partnership with organisations across the regulatory ecosystem."
Read the policy brief
Read more about the project