Brussels, 02/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 27 March, the Alliance of the Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) at the European Parliament held a conference on the question of emergency health services and their contribution to the overall performance of the national healthcare systems. Those taking part examined and compared the emergency medical services (EMS) within the European Union and their links to the national crisis management systems of the member states (access to the EMS systems, infantry of reaction capacity of current EMS, data collection mechanism, acceptability of services available). The aim was to share experiences and identify best practices, in order to promote cooperation and improve the existing systems, in order to respond better to patients' needs. “Emergency medical services are a vital part of health care systems across Europe. While some member states have developed efficient emergency systems, others struggle to make the necessary improvements or even jeopardise existing achievements”, said Romanian member Norica Nicolai. She stressed the need for better EU intervention to improve the systems, particularly in countries in which budgetary allocation and public health standards are falling dramatically. (IL/transl.fl)