“Patient Safety needs to be integrated in the concept of quality of care” – Niek Klazinga OECD Health Division

It is possible to use a myriad of different technologies to improve patient safety and healthcare. We can do more by making sure that Member States are committed in incorporating these technologies into their health systems.

During World Antiobiotic Awareness Week, experts from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the University of Antwerp, all conveyed the clear message that antimicrobial resistance is a growing global problem with severe consequences for all of us if we do not act now.

The second meeting of the European Parliamentary Interest Group on Innovation in Health and Social Care. was opened by Co-Chair Kay Swinburne (ECR, UK) at the European Parliament. The event brought together health stakeholders and Member States’ representatives to look at investment, rather than just cost-containment, in health systems.

Held in collaboration with the Latvian Presidency of the EU, the event was the launching ground for a Declaration from the Latvian Presidency to facilitate commitment from Member States to an EU policy on community care that supports and empowers patients, nurses and informal carers to access innovations outside of acute settings.

At the occasion of its 10th Annual General Assembly, Health First Europe gathered together pan-European organisations and the European Commission to contribute to the HFE Road Map for the next Parliamentary term and share ideas on the future of public health in the European Union.

On 3 & 4 April, the European Commission held the first ever Chronic Diseases Summit which aimed to bring together key stakeholders to generate recommendations about priority actions at EU level to tackle chronic diseases in Europe.

On 27 November, Health First Europe together with MEP Christofer Fjellner (EPP, Sweden) organised a follow-up roundtable debate on Advancing patient safety in the EU: Reducing healthcare associated infections in the European Parliament from 14.00 – 16.30.  This event brought together high-level stakeholder to discuss the current state of infection control in Europe and the next steps for reducing HCAIs. 

Health First Europe held an invitation-only roundtable event on 24 April in the European Parliament to debate the Future of Patient Safety in Europe. Under the Sponsorship of MEP Christofer Fjellner, (EPP, Sweden), the event was chaired by HFE Honorary President John Bowis.

Opening Health First Europe’s Open Forum Debate on Patient Safety, Patron of the Health First Europe Task Force on Patient Safety and HFE MEP Supporter Christofer Fjellner (EPP, Sweden) began by stating, “We can do more to protect patients.”

Health First Europe (HFE) organised its Innovation Day 2011 in the European Parliament gathering support from Parliamentary members for the need to research the drivers of innovation in healthcare. On this occasion, HFE launched its publication “Overcoming Barriers to Innovation in Health: Examining the drivers of innovation” which calls upon the European Commission to examine the value chain of innovation – from identifying where gaps in quality of care exist, to determining where best practices have occurred and how such practices can be utilised to address gaps in Member States.

HFE Honorary President Mr. John Bowis opened the reception for the launch of the “E-Quality in E-Health” publication explaining the purpose of the event was to reach out to policymakers both within and beyond the European institutions to do more in the e-Health domain.

On 23 March 2010, Health First Europe (HFE) celebrated the adoption by the EPSCO Council of the Directive implementing the Framework Agreement on the prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector.

Health First Europe’s roundtable in the European Parliament was co-hosted by MEPs Liz Lynne (ALDE, UK) and Amalia Sartori (EPP, Italy) and focused on the significant burden of Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs) on Europe’s healthcare systems. The event highlighted how European healthcare systems are in crisis, requiring urgent and concrete EU action.

On 26 November 2008, Health First Europe (HFE) hosted a special farewell dinner to celebrate Mel Read’s glittering reign as HFE’s first Honorary President. The members of the HFE Executive and Advisory Committees thanked Ms […]