Biomedical laboratory technician shortage: "We have no reserve to draw from"
Figures from NAV's Business Survey 2024 show that the shortage of biomedical laboratory technicians is increasing. In total, the companies are looking for 350 biomedical laboratory scientists. This is an increase of several hundred percent since the corona year of 2020.
"The biomedical laboratory technicians are not among the largest professions in the health service, but possess a critical competence where a shortage of specialists leads to a halt in other services in the hospitals," says Kaja Marienborg, chair of the professional board of NITO BFI.
NITO organizes 5900 biomedical laboratory technicians of working age. Of these, almost all are in work.
"It is of course positive that among our members there is almost no one who is unemployed or laid off, but it also means that we have no reserve to draw on to fill biomedical laboratory technician positions that are unfilled," says Head of NITO BFI, Heidi Andersen.
Facts about the shortage of biomedical laboratory technicians
A growing shortage of biomedical laboratory technicians threatens the capacity of Norwegian laboratories. A report prepared by NITO BFI (2022) shows that the health trusts are struggling to recruit and retain professional staff, and many have to resort to temporary workers and emergency solutions to maintain operations.
- Major shortage: As many as 93 % of the laboratories in the hospitals state that they lack biomedical laboratory scientists.
- Recruitment problems: 8 out of 10 managers have problems recruiting qualified biomedical laboratory scientists.
- Use of temporary staff: 63% of the companies state that they have to use temporary workers to fill vacant positions.
- Large retirement: Many biomedical laboratory technicians are approaching retirement age, and retirement accounts for a significant part of the recruitment need.
- Increased pressure on employees: Biomedical laboratory technicians report a high workload and difficulties in taking holiday or time off in lieu
Vulnerable staffing in hospital laboratories
- The staffing in the hospital laboratories is very vulnerable in many places, we have already seen examples of this. When the shortage becomes as large as NAV's business survey shows, there is every reason to be concerned that employers will either find themselves forced to relax the requirements for skills, or hire occupational groups with less flexible skills.
- In that case, it will have consequences both for the employees in the laboratories, for the hospitals, and in the worst case for the patients, Marienborg believes.
- Biomedical laboratory technicians are an attractive workforce and possess valuable expertise, also for employers outside the health service. It must therefore become more attractive to work in the health service. It is both about salary, and competence and development opportunities. "In addition, we must take care of the biomedical laboratory science programmes we have," says Andersen.
Must work smarter
In the longer term, both Andersen and Marienborg believe that the shortage of biomedical laboratory technicians and other health personnel cannot be solved just by educating or employing more people: " We need to work smarter, and make wiser choices in diagnostics, treatment and implementation of new technology.
"Both the biomedical laboratory technicians and the medical-technical personnel at the hospitals have an important role to play in this," Marienborg concludes.
