Last updated: 04 April 2008

President’s Message

Dear EFN Members and Colleagues,


On 2 April, Ms. Androula Vassiliou from Cyprus was elected as Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. Ms. Vassiliou stated at the European Parliament hearing that she was already working on the proposal for a Health Directive and that she was determined to submit it for adoption by the Commission in June. She said that “we are not talking about the freedom of movement of services but about the right of citizens to get healthcare all over Europe”, and that her intention was not to damage the existing health systems, but to improve them by cooperation and the exchange of the best practices available.

 

We are expecting a legislative result that can create clarity, secure rights, quality and equality for patients in Europe. As the new Commissioner very well stated this is not a process to damage the existing health systems, but a process to improve them. We will follow the new Commissioner’s work closely, and take those statements into account.

 

We are looking forward to seeing all the National Nurses’ Associations to our meeting in Copenhagen on 10-11 April.

 

                                               Grete Christensen

                                                    EFN President

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04 April 2008


News from EFN

 

Health Professionals’ Migration Flows

The European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) participated in the meeting held by the Coalition for Health, Ethics and Society (CHES), on 25 March 2008, in Brussels, where the health professionals' migration flows, EU Member States needs particularly in relation to demographic ageing, and how the outflow of health professionals is managed in the countries where they originate, was discussed. The EFN General Secretary, Mr Paul de Raeve, gave a presentation on the challenges posed by Health Workforce shortages, particularly in the nursing sector, and the international migration of health workers. He also stressed the need for urgent action and the important role Europe can play in this field. Ms Galina Perfilieva, WHO European Regional Advisor on Human Resources for Health, and Mr Iaan Basson, Minister Plenipotentiary, South African Embassy & Mission to the EU, made a presentation on the “Health professionals’ migration in the EU”.

Update

News from the EU

 

EU Consultation on Patient Safety

In order to have a full picture on Patient Safety issues from all those involved in this field (patients, consumers, national competent authorities, and healthcare professionals), the European Commission launched a public consultation on Patient Safety. The results of this consultation will help the Commission to develop its proposal on general patient safety issues planned for the end of 2008. That proposal will address the important issue of patient safety throughout the European Union and will include a detailed first pillar, addressing Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI). The deadline to answer to this consultation is 20 May 2008.

 

To answer to this consultation, click here.

Update

Health Services Directive

Following a meeting on “patients' rights regarding cross-border healthcare” organised by the European Parliament on 4 March 2008, and due to the lack of transparency of the European Commission discussions, the EU Health Stakeholders are urging the Commission to come up with a directive on the provision of cross-border health services. They insist that official discussions on the proposal must begin, despite fears they could trigger major negative EU campaigning by some MEPs ahead of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Up till now no publication date is foreseen.


Update

First Global Forum on Human Resources for Health

The critical shortage of health workers around the world is one of the most fundamental constraints to improving health systems and to achieving international health and development goals. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there is a shortage of more than 4 million health workers in the world. The first Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, organised in Uganda, on 2-7 March 2008, by the Global Health Workforce Alliance, called for immediate and sustained action to resolve this critical shortage. The participants, including experts (from government, the health sector, and non-governmental organizations) and Ministers of health and education, endorsed the Kampala Declaration and the Agenda for Global Action calling on all countries to give top priority to training and recruiting sufficient health personnel from within their own countries, to provide adequate incentives and better working conditions to ensure the retention of health workers, and calls on WHO to accelerate negotiations for a code of practice on the international recruitment of health workers.

 

For further information, click here & here.

 

The ICN and five other Health Organisations (International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), World Dental Federation (FDI), World Medical Association (WMA), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT)), representing more than 25 million health professionals, took this opportunity to present twelve guiding principles for effective ‘task shifting’ (employing new health care workers to provide health services normally provided by health professionals), calling for country specific decisions on skill mix, competency based career frameworks and sufficient health professionals for supervision and training of new cadres of personnel. They also expressed their concern that adding new cadres of health workers might result in inefficient and confusing services affecting patient care.

 

For further information, click here.

Update