Cross-border healthcare: the patients’ perspective
The high-level roundtable will put forward a patients’ perspective on the legislative proposal on Patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare. It will approach this theme through the topics of patient safety, quality of care, and health inequalities, highlighting the added value of cooperation across Member States. Stakeholders, including patient groups, have a legitimate role to play in the policy debate on these issues, to ensure the instruments are relevant, effective and are taken forward in a national and regional context.
The Spain-Belgium-Hungary Trio Presidency have identified ‘Health Inequalities ‘as an overarching theme, with Health Safety being among the specific priority areas of the Belgian Presidency.
The Roundtable will put forward a patients’ perspective regarding the proposed legislation on cross-border healthcare and demonstrate the commitment of the patients’ community to these developments. It will aim to raise awareness among key decision-makers regarding the legitimate and constructive role of stakeholders, such as patient groups, as part of the policy debate and as catalysts to ensure that EU instruments are taken forward in a national and regional context.
The overall theme of the event is cross-border healthcare from the patients’ perspective, where we are with the Directive on cross-border healthcare, and its contribution in addressing health inequalities. This will also touch upon the sub-themes of patient safety and quality of care.
The event will convene approximately 40-50 participants, composed of policy-makers and stakeholders, including patient leaders, health professionals, insurers, industry, and health managers. Speakers will include the Commissioner for Health and Consumers, high-level representatives from the Commission and from Belgium, the Rapporteur leading on the legislative dossier under discussion, and representatives of the key EU stakeholder groups.
The event will take place over one full day. It will be structured as a roundtable/panel discussion, with presentations from the EU Institutions representatives and different stakeholders and interactive debate/panel discussion. The event will end with conclusions and recommendations on the way forward, which will be extensively disseminated to stakeholders.