President’s Message
Dear EFN Members and Colleagues,
In today’s healthcare arena, both cost effectiveness and patient outcomes take centre stage. Creating policies requires using the best available evidence from the most credible sources. EFN believes that if nursing and midwifery practice is to systematically and proactively develop across Europe to meet patients’ health needs, and also influence the changing healthcare context, the profession’s involvement in health policy decision making at all levels is essential. In a world of information overload, there is a large amount of information that needs to be filtered.
EFN has the capacity and capability not only to ensure existing reliable evidence is accessible, but that comprehensive analysis and detailed responses are submitted to support, inform and resolve health policy decision makers’ questions and concerns.
EFN will continue in bringing the health agenda forward in Europe.
Annette Kennedy
President EFN
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27 April 2007
News from EFN
Spring EFN General Assembly – 12&13 April 2007, Croatia
The European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) organised its 86th General Assembly, in Dubrovnik, where members discussed important issues for nurses and the nursing profession, such as: the EFN contribution to the Tuning Nursing Brochure to be validate during the Validation Conference to take place on 22 June 2007; the EU project on Patient Safety ‘EUNetPas’; the Social Dialogue in the Hospital Sector; the Health Directive and the Health Strategy. The EFN would like to take this opportunity to thank all its members for their participation and hard work during the General Assembly.
News from the EU
EU Consultation on Community Action on Health Services
The EU Health Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, presented the results of the EU consultation on Health Services, on 20 April 2007. The main conclusion of this consultation is that there is a need for better information to patients to enable informed choices about cross-border care and greater clarity about the procedures to follow, with a broad consensus that quality and safety of healthcare should be ensured by the country where treatment is provided.
EU Lobbyists Public Registry for more transparency
On 21st March 2007, the European Commission launched a public register for all the lobbyists and the interest groups working to influence the EU institutions decision making. The initiative gives an opportunity to all interest representatives to underscore that lobbying EU institutions is a legitimate and useful activity.
For further information click here.
MEPs want Hepatitis C recognised as public health issue
The European Parliament recently adopted the written declaration on Hepatitis C, calling on the European Commission and Council of Europe to recognise Hepatitis C as an urgent Public Health issue. This declaration follows the European Parliament own initiative report on protecting European health care workers from blood-borne infections through needlestick injuries (see EFN’s campaign on protecting Europe's nurses against injuries).
For further information click here.
Employment Committee asks for Additional Pension Rights
The Employment Committee of the European Parliament approved a new directive proposal aiming to facilitate workers' mobility by setting minimum standards for the acquisition and preservation of supplementary pension rights. This new directive should be adopted by all EU Member States by 1st July 2008.
For further information click here.
