All together now

The challenge for future health policy is turning values into reality, says Androulla Vassiliou

As commissioner for health, I have the opportunity to meet many people from across Europe with different concerns, experiences and opinions on health issues.

Yet I find it quite striking that most of the people I meet share a common concern or value system for health, based on equity and solidarity.

And it is for this reason that I considered it very important to further develop and reflect these common values in the commission’s white paper ‘Together for health: a strategic approach for the EU 2008-2013’ and provide the fundamental basis for EU action on health.

The core values of health policy are ensuring citizens’ empowerment, reducing inequalities in health and using scientific evidence to drive policy. These values are also supported by EU health ministers, who agreed on a list of overarching values in EU healthcare systems in June 2006. These are the values of universality, access to good-quality care, equity and solidarity. The challenge for the future is turning this value-based vision of health policy and healthcare systems into a tangible reality.

We can only do this by being vigilant and aware that all our health policies are shaped by these shared values. For example, on 2 July, the directive on cross-border healthcare was adopted.

This long-awaited proposal is the result of an intense and fruitful consultation and reflection with the European parliament, member states, key stakeholders, health professionals and patients, as well as broader civil society. The growing expectations and needs of patients are the starting point for this initiative.

The aim of the proposal, while fully respecting national responsibilities over healthcare systems, is to maximise the use of health resources in the EU. More cooperation between health systems will also improve safety and create more solidarity and innovation in health. This will be achieved through a transparent set of rules and principles for cross-border healthcare, which will fully respect the wide variety of national systems.

The outcome will be to provide patients with clear opportunities to receive the safe and high-quality healthcare they expect or need. The common values are evident throughout this proposal.

The proposal on cross-border healthcare is the first adopted initiative in the ‘Europe for patients’ campaign, which launches on 30 September. This is a policy-driven campaign that incorporates several different policy proposals related to healthcare and health systems, all with the common aim of improving healthcare in Europe and consequently, the lives of patients.

The aim is to provide a tangible and understandable concept to frame the many different initiatives that the commission is adopting in the coming six to nine months. It is an ambitious agenda and provides a clear and coherent message about our vision and priorities in healthcare.

The value of citizens’ empowerment is evident here because I want to involve citizens in our policymaking by bringing initiatives closer to the public. A special webpage on the EU health portal, called ‘Europe for patients’, has been created.

The aim of this website, available in 22 languages, is to serve as an information hub where people can post their events and news about the ‘Europe for patients’ initiatives that most concern them. The ‘Europe for patients’ campaign will address crucial issues such as patient safety or cancer – some of the biggest health challenges in Europe today.

Every year around 3.2 million Europeans are diagnosed with cancer – a figure which is expected to increase in the near future due to the ageing European population. However, the burden of cancer does not strike equally across the EU.

This uneven burden of cancer, together with the worrying EU-wide inequalities in cancer control and care, including breast, cervical and colorectal screening and follow-up, are major concerns for the European commission.

Patient safety, which aims to reduce medical errors and adverse events in the healthcare process, is another major challenge EU health systems are facing. Millions of EU patients are harmed by errors in healthcare each year. Much of that harm is avoidable. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are specific examples of common adverse events that present a tangible threat to public health.

The total number of patients acquiring at least one HAI in the EU-27 every year can be estimated at 4.1 million. Approximately 37,000 deaths are estimated to occur every year as the consequence of these infections. The commission will put forward a communication and a proposal for a council recommendation on patient safety and quality of health services, addressing both systemic patient safety issues and the prevention and control of HAIs, later this year, to add EU-level value to member states’ efforts to improve safety in their healthcare systems.

I am convinced that our shared values and principles in health, as laid out in the white paper, will help us all to respond to the needs of citizens and patients while respecting our different roles and responsibilities in health and healthcare.