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How to better access to innovative therapies: in Brussels today the
11th Patients’ Rights Day promoted by Active Citizenship Network and dozens of European civic associations.
Active Citizenship Network is celebrating today, with a multi-stakeholder conference at EESC in Brussels the 11th European Patients’ Rights Day.
The aim of the convention was to discuss, inform and suggest new approaches to the existing European and National Medicines Regulatory Systems, for better management of access to innovation. Indeed, the access to innovative therapies strongly contributes to define the quality of life of patients and the quality of healthcare services provided, respecting the fundamental values recognised by the European Charter of Patients’ Rights, promoted by Active Citizenship Network in 2012, and undersigned by dozens of European civic associations (list available on www.activecitizenship.net). The event was an occasion to inform, discuss and take commitments to improve the respect of patients’ rights and their involvement in the policy-making and regulatory processes at national and European level.
Winner to be announced on 1 February at special EU Parliament event on citizen engagement in sustainable energy
Brussels, 10 January 2017. The long awaited winner of the 2016 Citizenergy Project of the Year award is due to be announced on 1 February in the halls of the EU Parliament during a special session on citizen engagement in sustainable energy. The award celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Citizenergy portal for community energy investment. The overwhelmingly clear results were a product of votes cast by hundreds of individuals, each of whom rated crowdfunded and cooperative based energy projects according to their contribution to a sustainable energy future.
France, Ireland, Italy and Slovenia set an example for pain patients, other member states struggle
When it was completed in 2011, the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive seemed to usher in a new era of rights for patients seeking healthcare in the European Union. The Directive requires national governments to take a flexible approach to EU citizens accessing national healthcare systems, with costs being recouped at a later date through inter-governmental exchanges. While the complexities of member state insurance systems recouping costs may be a challenge, the principal of access treatment across the EU is one which member state governments are all, in theory, signed up to.
Chronic pain affects one in five Europeans
It’s time for the EU to act! Make pain care a priority for healthier citizens and a stronger economy. The Societal Impact of Pain’s (SIP) 2016 symposium will aim to engage all stakeholder groups involved in future policy making impacting the societal impact of pain.
Reducing waste and inefficiency in the healthcare systems,
increasing quality of patient care
“Active Citizenship Network promotes this multi-stakeholder event since 2007, and as its Director, I am so honored to celebrate this relevant anniversary here at the EU Parliament”. With these remarks Mariano Votta, Director of Active Citizenship Network-Cittadinanzattiva opened the X European Patients’ Rights today in European Parliament, in Brussels, with leaders of civic and patient organizations coming from 25 Countries, some of them outside the European Union, such us Albania, Russia, Macedonia, Switzerland. With them, many representatives and leaders of 18 networks at EU level, professionals and experts, companies and providers, public relation agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
The event has been hosted thanks to the Members of the European Parliament David Borrelli, Co-Chair of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group, and to his colleague Piernicola Pedicini, ENVI Committee Coordinator for his group.
The 10th edition main topic was the fight against waste and inefficiency in the healthcare systems. As clearly stated by European Commission Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, “there is ample evidence of pervasive inefficiency in the process of transforming resources into health outcomes, generating economic waste and being a contributory factor for the excessive health expenditure growth”.
The World Health Organization estimated that from 20% to 40% of all the health spending is wasted through inefficiency.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that average life expectancy could increase by about 2 years in Europe, if resources were used more efficiently.
Consequently, reducing inefficiencies can lead to substantial gains.
Up to Active citizenship network, waste in the National Health Service is any activity, behavior, good and service that uses resources, without producing results in terms of health, wellness and quality of life as established by the European Charter of Patients' Rights.
There is another and more relevant reason that suggests us to address this topic: we believe that citizens play an active role in the fight against inefficiencies. This is a must for my organization at all levels, included in our corporate vision, as underlined in the following statement:
"Cittadinanzattiva – Active Citizenship Network believes that citizens have the power, by organizing themselves, to overcome conditions of subordination and violation of their rights, to build a world where no human being is excluded and no common good is wasted", declared Antonio Gaudioso, general secretary of Cittadinanzattiva.
For us, waste is a cross-cutting issue, which refers to the way in which common goods are used and, more specifically, to their selfish and inappropriate use: this happens when economic, environmental, landscape or human resources are underused, abandoned, deprived of value and of their planning skills.Having a negative impact on those resources, waste - of whatever type - damage common goods and limit citizens’ rights, especially those of future generations.
In this sense, the joint efforts of all the social stakeholders (institutions, businesses, experts, media, civic organizations and individuals) are crucial to fight waste in an effective and permanent way.
There are many actions that citizens can undertake to fight waste, and fighting against waste in healthcare, both citizens and patients can play a key role by acting as sentinels to track and report corruption, irregularities and inefficiency; they can even contribute to the reduction of waste by adopting responsible behaviors and effective lifestyles, respecting the rules of access to health services; adhering to therapeutic paths and consciously using drugs.
In general, being committed to the proper allocation of all resources, to the promotion of real and non-formal transparency of public administration, to contrasting inefficiencies, corruption, to ensuring that “economic savings actually remain in health” from our point of view means protecting the right to health for everyone and protecting the National Health Service in each Member State as a common good.
Institutions at different level, citizens and patients through their organizations, professionals, public and private sector, must work together to achieve these goals. We believe that many actors are already doing their part to fight against waste and inefficiency. The main part of the conference will be dedicated to the presentation of these good practices that should be valued (the full report can be downloaded from the website www.activecitizenship.net). The report is based on 22 examples coming from 10 Countries. Most of them are related to the fighting of “inefficiently delivered services”. Other to the “missed prevention opportunities” and to the “excessive administrative costs”.
Only three good practices reported about “unnecessary services”.
The main actors of the gathered good practices are “health professionals”(14/22), followed by the “health care organizations” (12/22) and “Institutions” directly involved in the development of healthcare services. An important role is also played by the universities, patients’ organizations and patients.
The secret of their success often lies in the ability to collaborate with private and public sectors.
The 10th European Patients’ Rights Day was realized thanks to the support of: Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis Oncology and Roche.
Launched in 14 EU Countries a communication campaign
on cross-border healthcare
A European communication campaign on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare kicks off in 14 EU Member States. The initiative is promoted by Active Citizenship Network andwill be officially presented to the EU Institutions on 3 May 2016 at the European Parliament in Brussels.The event will take place in room ASP A7H1 from 16:30 to 18:30, and it will be 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 Healthcare”.
The representative office to the EU of Cittadinanzattiva and its European branch, Active Citizenship Network, will have the opening ceremony on next 12th May.
For the Italian civic association Cittadinanzattiva it represents a new and relevant effort. First of all, it shows how important for its work and strategies is the European dimension.
The office is at Rue Philippe Le Bon 46 on the ground floor.
Brussels, May 15 2012
6th European Patients’ Rights Day: Active Ageing at the center of EU Health Policy. In Brussels civic organisations and policy makers to boost European elderly citizens participation.
Active Ageing Citizens at the center of EU Health Policy. This is the title of the 6th Patients’ Rights Day, started today in Brussels at EESC, and promoted by Active Citizenship Network (www.activecitizenship.net). The event will end tomorrow with a session hosted by The National Museum of Natural Sciences. News and updates on twitter with #EPRD hashtag and on facebook page.
Civic societies and patient organizations together with Members of the EU Parliament strengthen the protection of patients’ rights in the European framework: this is the main message coming from the celebration of the IX Edition of the European Patients' Rights Day, organized as always by Active Citizenship Network, the EU branch of the Italian NGO Cittadinanzattiva.
The event took place today at the EU Parliament, co-hosted by MEP David Borrelli Co-Chair EFDD Group, and MEP Gianni Pittella, Chair of S&D Group.
Thanks to the increasing focus on patient empowerment, political leaders become more aware of the vital role nurses play in empowering patients/citizens in the process of continuity of care. EHealth services start playing a crucial role in integrated care.
On the International Nurses’ Day, which falls together with the celebration at the European Parliament of the 9th Edition of the European Patients’ Rights Day, both EFN-European Federation of Nurses Associations and ACN-Active Citizenship Network advocate for a highly educated, supported and developed nursing workforce in the right numbers to deliver person-centred care in which eHealth services are oriented to support better patient/citizens outcomes.
Cittadinanzattiva APS
p.iva: 02142701008
via Imera, 2
00183 Roma
Tel: (+39) 06.36.71.81
Fax: (+39) 06.36.71.83.33
Rue Philippe Le Bon, 46
1000 Brussels - Belgium
