Last updated: 30 June 2009

President’s Message


Dear EFN Members and Colleagues,


The election to the European Parliament has just ended. The composition of the European Parliament has changed in a more liberal direction. We welcome all MEP’s to their new job and hope they will help us in the work we do in social dialogue and our work for a more social Europe.

 

Therefore, we must work hard to influence the health agenda on the European arena, and as National Nurses Associations we have to influence our national MEP’s and governments, to achieve better conditions for citizens and better working and living conditions for Nurses in Europe. In other words, to achieve our common goals we have to use a lot of energy both at national level as well as at European level, to see the seeds we have sown bloom.

 

Regarding blooming, summer has come to Europe and I wish all of our members and readers a peaceful summer holyday where we can all recharge to face the many challenges in the times to come.

 

                                               Grete Christensen

                                                    EFN President

 

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30 June 2009



News from EFN

 

EU Project on ehealth interoperability

Involved in the 30 months EU project on ehealth interoperability - CALLIOPE, the EFN participated in the plenary meeting held in Paris on 28 May 2009. The participants were briefed on the project work plan, major achievements, opportunities, risks and future steps. Initiated by 28 founding members comprising 17 organisations representing national governments and eHealth competence centres and 11 EU-level stakeholder organisations of health professionals, patients, health insurers and industry, the project aims to produce value for decision-makers for national eHealth implementation. CALLIOPE is also collaborating closely with epSOS which involves piloting electronic patient records and e-prescribing in 10 EU Member States, and a joint initiative, called CALLepSO, is being developed. PGEU, EPF, CPME, and EFN are important stakeholders to scan the political e-health developments by making sure they are “fit for practice”.

 

Update

13th EFNNMA Annual Meeting

The EFN participated in the 13th annual meeting of the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations and WHO (EFNNMA) held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 4-5 June 2009. The meeting focused on: Health workforce policies in Europe (having as a background the WHO Regional Committee for Europe Resolution on Health workforce policies in the European Region, and the Tallinn Charter “Health Systems for Health and Wealth”); WHO draft code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel and the challenges for nursing and midwifery; Models of good practice in recruitment, retention and migration.

 

Update

Peer review meeting “Ensuring a functioning healthcare system in regions with declining and ageing populations”

The EFN participated in the Peer Review meeting organised by DG Sanco and the German Health Ministry, on 15-16 June 2009, in Potsdam, Germany, to discuss on specific policy issues from the health care field: How to ensure health care in regions with declining and ageing populations; Flexibilisation of outpatient services in primary healthcare; and the Adaptation of health services for an ageing population. As example, the participants were informed on a project called “Gemeindeschwester-Modell” launched in the federal Land of Brandenburg, under which “community nurses” work to relieve general practitioners by carrying out home-visits to patients who have already been diagnosed, in order to help with their medical treatment. The project relies heavily on ICT systems to ensure close links and mutual feedback between GPs and the community nurses. The first results of the project are positive and indicate a high acceptance of the concept of community nursing of this kind among participating GPs, nurses and patients.

 

Update

2nd Congress of Latvian Nurses and Midwives

The EFN was invited to participate in the Latvian Nurses and Midwives Congress organised in Riga – Latvia, on 18-19 June 2009, where issues such as: the health care quality and multidisciplinary collaboration and the key role of nurses and midwifes in Latvian health care system were discussed. The Congress was a good opportunity to share experience as regards developments in nursing and midwifery education, legislation, leadership and regulation within the EU. As keynote speaker, the EFN General Secretary stated that “The future of EU Healthcare needs to reflect the changing health and illness patterns as well as changing health needs of an aging population. In light of the global financial crisis, we need to get on the train of the EU Social Cohesion Funds for supporting innovations and developments in Nurse Education as well as supporting the Recruitment and Retention of our Nursing Workforce.”