Strasbourg, April 22nd: Third European Patients Rights Day EU event
Civil society meets Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou on EU policies on Patients' rights
The Eu policies about patients' rights will be at the center of the conclusive event of the Third European Patients' Rights Day, that will be held in Strasbourg next 22nd of April.
The event, promoted by Active Citizenship Network1 comes 5 days after the celebrations of the local events realized in the whole 27 Countries of the EU plus 3 candidate Countries.
Patients’ rights are becoming an increasing concern of EU institutions and stakeholders, as can be seen by the New Directive on Patients’ Rights and cross-border care presented on July 2008 as well as other European initiatives encompassed in the Europe for Patient Campaign launched in September by Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou.
Active Citizenship Network (ACN) together with a group of European citizens organisations in 2002 established a European Charter of Patients’ Rights, which includes the following 14 rights: the right to preventive measures; access care; information; consent; free choice; privacy and confidentiality; respect of patients’ time; observance of quality standards; safety; innovation; avoidance of unnecessary suffering and pain; personalized treatment; to complain; to receive compensation. All these rights, based on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, are fundamental in relation to European citizens and health care services. The majority of these rights are also embodied within the Councils conclusions on Common values and principles in EU Health Systems adopted in June 2006.
The 3rd European Patients’ Rights Day will take place, in each country, on 18 April 2009. As last year, the European Day celebration will consist on the celebration of national events in each EU country, organized by national patients and citizen organizations, followed by a central European event with the patronage of the European Parliament, European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee.
In the present European context patient’s rights are a growing concern for citizens as well as a framework for common action. Every public survey shows their health is at the top of citizens’ concerns, and many will take it into account in forthcoming EU wide elections. In addition on 23 April in the Strasbourg Parliament a number of important initiatives regarding patients rights that are planned to be voted on in plenary for example: proposal for Council recommendations on Patient Safety, rare diseases and the Directive on Patients’ Rights in cross-border care.
For that reason, the 3rd European Patients’ Rights Day European event will be an opportunity for citizens’ organizations, public officials and other important stakeholders to be able to interact, and to hear each other’s opinions on the concrete situation of patients’ rights and the challenges being faced in a continually growing and changing Europe.
Active Citizenship Network Press Office
Italian headquarter
+39 0636718.302-.408-.351
Brussels: MariaLaura Franciosi
+32 475 244 697
Click here to download the program
1Active Citizenship network, Cittadinanzattiva's European program, is a network of about 80 citizens' organizations from 30 countries (enlarged European Union and candidate countries), which collaborate in specific project to promote citizens' participation in public policies. www.activecitizenship.net.
