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#Health: ‘Patients’ rights have no borders’

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shutterstock_92325316-640x480A European communication campaign on patients’ rights in cross-border health care has begun in 14 member states. The initiative is promoted by Active Citizenship Network, the EU branch of the Italian NGO Cittadinanzattiva, and it was officially presented to the EU Institutions at the European Parliament in Brussels.

The event was hosted by the MEP David Borrelli, Co-Chair of the EFDD Group and Co-Founder of the MEPs Interest Group European Patients’ Rights and Cross-border Health Care.

“The report on the state of play of the Cross-border Health Care Directive, published by European Commission last 4 September 2015, clearly shows that European citizens’ awareness about their right to choose healthcare in another EU country remains low: less than two in ten citizens feel they are informed about their rights in this area, and only one in ten is aware of National Contact Points,” said Cittadinanzattiva Secretary General Antonio Gaudioso. “These aspects have provoked calls for better coordination of health systems and policies across the EU, resulting in the implementation of the Cross-Border Health Care Directive. The impact of this Directive will depend to a large degree on the knowledge of patients across the EU of their rights under the legislation and its potential benefits.”

At national level, the communication campaign will be co-ordinated by the following civic and patient associations:

  • Austria: Lower Austrian Patient and Nursing Advocacy
  • Bulgaria: Patients’ Organizations “With You”
  • Cyprus: Cyprus Alliance for Rare Disorders
  • France: Inter-Association on health (CISS)
  • Germany: Bürger Initiative Gesundheit e.V.
  • Hungary: Hungarian Federation of People with Rare and Congenital Diseases
  • Ireland: Irish Patients’ Association
  • Italy: Cittadinanzattiva – Tribunal for patients’ rights
  • Lithuania: Council Of Representatives Of Patients’ Organizations Of Lithuania
  • Malta: Malta Health Network
  • Netherlands: European Patients Empowerment for Customised Solutions
  • Poland: Institute for Patients’ Rights & Health Education
  • Slovakia: Society of Consumer Protection
  • Spain: Plataforma de Organizaciones de Pacientes

The campaign is mainly addressed towards European citizens and patients, as well as leaders and volunteers of civic and patient organizations and media at local/national/EU level.

“To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the European Patients’ Rights Day, we have decided to organise a widespread campaign in cooperation with some of the national civic & patient associations involved in our network”, stated Mariano Votta, Director of Active Citizenship Network. “At the moment, in EU only 2% of citizens had planned treatment abroad but, if  properly adopted, the Directive can help reduce regional differences within each country, with benefits for the rest of 98% of the EU population.

“In fact we believe that not only the Directive can become a tool to find medical assistance in another country, but we also expect that in every place of care, in every country, region or local health service, every patient has equal rights to access to care, to information and free choice, to innovation, to quality and safety of care, to forward complaints. It is fundamental to clearly show that the innovative potential expressed by the Directive is strong and that civic & patients organization all around Europe are committed to work for its implementation.”

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The campaign, realized thanks to the support of Novartis, will consist of a series of initiatives at local/national/EU level with on-the-spot and online activities to be realized from June to December 2016, when the first evaluation made from the civic point of view on the effects of the Directive 3 years after its implementation (October 2013 – October 2016) will be officially presented to the EU Commission and Parliament.

In 2017, the campaign will be reorganized in the remaining 14 countries of the European Union. The outcomes of the initiatives carried out in 2016 will help improve the campaign in the other 14 EU countries.

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