Press Releases and Articles

Ladies and Gentlemen!

In health care quality always comes first. That is doing the right things, by the right professionals, with the right training, at the right time and in a safe way, for all our patients. Therefore quality is always more important than economy, although efficiency is a secondary goal to strive for.

Since quality is first and absolute in health care, we can accept no inequalities and nothing but the same high quality standards must be the aim for all our patients, throughout the European Union.

Are we going to reach these goals of equality and quality, especially in a world of increasing mobility of people and patients in the European Union, Member States have to cooperate and coordinate.

Many aspects of quality have to be taken into consideration in order to meet these demands for high and equal standards, but I would like to especially mention three key areas where defined and minimal standards always have to be met by all health care providers to guarantee the quality of health care. Only close co-operation, between Member States within a framework of shared health care responsibility with the EU, can give these results.

Firstly; a new preventive and open patient safety work on a no-fault basis with reporting in confidentiality must be established in all health care throughout the European Union. It must be combined with a general patient insurance system, also on a no-fault basis, to compensate for any injures or adverse outcome because of care. This must in no way hinder any patient from the possibility of filing for damages in court and therefore there must be a full obligatory liability insurance covering all health care professionals.

Secondly; evidence based medicine must be the core activity of all health care. The newly established EU Network on Health Technology Assessment must support a development of strengthened influence by national health technology assessment agencies on every day health care.

Thirdly; the performance of health care professionals must be secured through integrated continuing professional development (CPD) in every day work with relevant resources and guaranteed quality in all CPD activities.

Are these crucial factors of health care quality and safety going to be met just as it is said? No!

We need incentives, but certain standards also have to be established.

Could a way forward be, to establish this quality that no health care provider anywhere in the EU who does not live up to minimal standards of structures and processes for patient safety work, evidence based medicine and CPD for all health care professionals will not qualified, neither as providers of publicly funded health care nor for reimbursement due to cross boarder care of any kind?

Thank you for your attention!