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CPME Press release - European Union Network for Patient Safety (EUNetPaS) officially launched in Utrecht, Netherlands 28-29 February

CPME Press Release                                                                                                                                                                   20.03.2008

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European Union Network for Patient Safety (EUNetPaS) officially launched in Utrecht, Netherlands 28-29 February

The EUNetPaS (European Union Network for Patient Safety) project was officially launched February 28-29 2008 in Utrecht, Netherlands. Funded and supported by the European Commission within the 2007 Public Health Programme, the project aims to establish an umbrella network of all 27 EU Member States and EU stakeholders to encourage and enhance collaboration in the field of Patient Safety.

As project partner, CPME leads the evaluation of the project, and takes active part in the education and training working package.

EUNetPaS unites other representatives of the European medical community (nurses, pharmacists, managers of healthcare organisations, patients’ associations, etc.) and the institutional partners involved in patient safety with the states of the European Union (members of national patient safety organisations and Member State’s Ministries of Health). It will also promote the involvement of stakeholders through national platforms organised around one EUNetPaS national contact point in every EU member states.

EUNetPaS focuses on four key topic areas:

1. Promoting a Culture of Patient Safety – National representatives and experts will play a key role in the collection and exchange of information concerning Patient Safety at the Member State level;
2. Structuring Education and Training in Patient Safety – Proposal of a Core European curricula for Patient Safety in higher education and as part of continuing education taking into account patients and health care professionals needs;
3. Implementing Reporting and Learning Systems – The identification, collection and structuring of Patient Safety information within the EU, providing Member States with a database of solutions to related issues that they can draw upon;
4. Pilot Implementation of Medication Safety – Improve medication safety in hospitals by identifying good practices, translating them into tools and testing these tools in selected hospitals.

EUNetPaS will facilitate the exchange of information and establish common principles at the EU level through the integration of knowledge, experiences and expertise gathered from Member States and EU stakeholders. It will facilitate the development of Patient Safety programmes in Member States and provide support to those countries less in the field. EUNetPaS will also contribute to the establishment of a European community of hospitals involved in Patient Safety.

The next EUNetPaS meeting will be held September 22-23 2008 in Paris during the French Presidency of the European Union. It will involve high level experts and decision makers as well as representatives of the civil society to discuss EU and national developments in the field of Patient Safety.

Further information on EUNetPaS will be soon available at: http://www.eunetpas.eu

For more information, contact:

Lisette TIDDENS-ENGWIRDA
CPME Secretary General
Tel.: +32 2 732 72 02
Fax: +32 2 732 73 44
E-mail: secretariat@cpme.eu

For more information about CPME, consult our website: http://www.cpme.eu

The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), representing about 2 million doctors through the National Medical Associations of the European Union / European Economic Area, aims to promote the highest standards of medical training and medical practice in order to achieve the highest quality of health care for all citizens of Europe.