The 7th European patients rights day has been an occasion for all of us, representatives of national patient organizations, European platforms, EU and national institutions, representatives of healthcare providers etc. to share our experiences on the directive 2011/24/EU on cross border care and on patients' involvement in health policies on a multi-stakeholder basis.
Now it is time to start to work together on monitoring and actively participating in the transposition and implementation processes of the Directive, to make it a concrete example and best practice of patient participation in the health policy making.The Directive is an opportunity to enhance the rights of all European citizens with respect to healthcare services, since national citizens will also benefit from a number of provisions initially planned to protect the rights of cross-border patients.
ACN drafted a Manifesto for the implementation, in particular for the Right of European Patients to make an informed choice, because we believe that the implementation of this principle, contained in the Directive, shall allow all patients to access services better adapted to their personal requirements, both abroad and in their own country/region.
For a real patient-centered implementation, citizens’ organisations must be involved in the transposition processes in all Member States. They shall have their say on all national provisions implementing the text, especially those regarding information of citizens and the reimbursement of costs of cross-border healthcare, which both heavily condition the effectiveness of the right to make an informed choice.
For this reason we would like to work in our countries from now on to participate in the implementation processes and monitor closely the development and the results of the transposition processes in all EU Member States.
We will create a European coordination of patient associations and other stakeholders interested in working together on the implementation of the Directive, in sharing information, as well as good and bad practices. We will collect information on what is going on at national level from citizens' point view and share it with the European commission.
On the 25 October 2013, the official deadline for the transposition, we would like to organize a celebration event in each country. It will be an occasion for all patient and civic organisations to inform European citizens on what has been done and on what still has to be done to make the rights sanctioned in the Directive come true.
We would also like to organize information campaigns in collaboration with European, national and regional institutions starting on 25 October, aimed at raising the attention of citizens on their rights deriving from the Directive and on the existence of the national contact points. It will also be an occasion to ask them to report us their good or bad experience with respect to the application of the Directive, to help us monitor its implementation and work with the healthcare institutions to improve it on an continuous basis.
Its time for action! Work with us in this unique occasion to enhance the collaboration between national institutions and representatives of patients and users to agree on implementation measures as much adapted as possible to the needs and expectations of citizens in each country.
By Antonio Gaudioso, General Secretary of Cittadinanzattiva
