FYI - Press Release from the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs in Sweden on the international forum that has just taken place in Stockholm
Best wishes
David McDaid
LSE Health and Social Care
http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/5655/a/48715
International Forum on equal access to health care
Health Ministers of Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom met in Stockholm on 28-29 August 2005 to continue discussions initiated in Aachen in August 2004 and Toledo in March 2005. Their discussion focused on how to improve health care for the benefit of patients and particularly what role European cooperation shall play in improving quality, accessibility, safety, innovation, efficiency et cetera. Ministers also discussed how to ensure that future developments are driven by the fundamental values of equity, universality and solidarity. In essence, that everyone should be guaranteed all the health care they need, regardless of ability to pay.
- European health systems, even though they have organisational differences, share some basic common values, namely equity, universality and solidarity. We need to find out concrete ways to put these principles into practice in the context of an enlarged European Union, reinforcing quality and sustainability, and setting the patients in the core of our political discussions and initiatives, said Elena Salgado.
- Health care is no ordinary commodity and should not be governed by free market principles. I therefore assume that health care will be excluded from the draft Services Directive. I however, wish to continue to discuss if there is a need some kind of patient mobility directive to ensure the safety for patients who receives care abroad, continued Ylva Johansson.
- We welcome the freedom of movement in Europe and want to increase patient mobility. This requires a clear framework, which we provide sovereignly at the national level. The services directive is not the appropriate place for this, elaborated Ulla Schmidt.
- When thinking about health, market is not an end in itself. Some market mechanisms can however be used in the health care sector under strong regulation, as instruments to improve effectiveness, efficiency as well as equity in health and to ensure the political and social objectives that inspire a renovated European Social Model, continued António Correia de Campos.
- Health care is an integral part of the greater discussion on the European Social Model. Further investment in our systems is needed to promote medical science and to face the challenges of an aging population. If properly oriented, health expenditure is not expenditure but an investment in human capital, said Stefaan Thijs.
- These have been useful and interesting discussions relevant to our shared objectives of reconnecting Europe with the citizen, in the context of Europe's shared values and principles, concluded Rosie Winterton.
The five invited Member States were represented by Ms.Ulla Schmidt, Minister for Health and Social Security (Germany); Mr. António Correia de Campos, Minister of Health (Portugal); Ms. Elena Salgado, Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs (Spain); Ms. Rosie Winterton, Minister of State (UK) and Mr. Stefaan Thijs, Political Advisor to Mr. Rudy DeMotte (Belgium).
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