Visit by Mr. Katsunobu Kato, Minister of State for Workplace Reform

March 16, 2017, 17:00-18:30

Mr. Katsunobu Kato, Minister of State for Workplace Reform, visited Tokyo Rosai Hospital to learn about the hospital’s support for balancing work and medical treatment.

Minister Kato making an opening speech

The Japan Organization of Occupational Health and Safety (JOHAS). is promoting a model project for support for balancing work and medical treatment, and recently, Mr. Ikina, a member of the “Council for Reform of Working Styles” visited the Tokyo Rosai Hospital and proposed that the hospital should train and assign a coordinator to support work-life balance, so that hospitals and workplaces nationwide can provide such support. Minister Kato also visited the hospital.

We also reported that we have completed a “Manual for Medical Institutions” based on the cases we have collected, and presented the recently completed manual to the Minister.

The support for work-life balance provided by our organization (Tokyo Rosai Hospital) is based on the principle of team medical care with the attending physician, nurse, and MSW as core members, and support is provided by coordinators with knowledge of medical care and labor-related laws and regulations, etc. We do not stop at establishing a system of a contact point, but rather we pick up patients who are truly seeking support at an early stage and provide them with the support they need. The MSW core members understand that while the principle is to provide team medical care, support is provided mainly by coordinators who are knowledgeable about medical care and labor-related laws and regulations, etc.

Minister Kato stated that he would like to include the introduction of a triangle-type support system, such as the coordinator system, in the “Workplace Reform Action Plan” to be compiled at the end of March, and that it is necessary to aim for a society where people with illnesses can work with a sense of purpose in their lives.

Roundtable Discussion

After a briefing on the work and a tour of the facility, a roundtable discussion was held with Minister Kato, in which seven people who are actually involved in supporting the balancing of medical treatment and work life at medical institutions, companies, etc. shared their experiences of supporting the balancing of medical treatment and work life (moderated by Mr. Miyamoto, Director of Planning Division, Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare).