Brussels, 20/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The major annual meeting of political leaders and players of the health sector in Europe will be held this year from 25 to 28 September in Bad Hofgastein (Austria). The main theme of this fifth edition of the European Health Forum Gastein will be "improving the environment for healthcare quality in Europe". Participants will be invited to compare the performances of the different health systems in Europe and to define the quality criteria that could be set at European level, as well as the ways that allow improved quality of healthcare in outpatient care. Specific fora will also be devoted to the following themes: (1) health systems in a changing environment, that will allow discussion on the free movement of patients and the economic impact of growing interaction for health systems; cooperation between Member States, possibilities and limits; the impact of enlargement; (2) the social aspects, with discussions on access to care for the poorest; (3) determining health factors, mainly nutrition; and (4) the 6th framework programme for research. Commissioner David Byrne and many other political personalities are expected at this event which is traditionally held in three languages (French, English and German).
During a press meeting in Brussels, the president of the Forum, Günther Leiner, stressed that one of the aims of this event is to make health policy more relevant to citizens. He recalled that the European health card, proposed by the Commission and which has just received the support of the European Council of Barcelona, was originally based on a recommendation made at the Forum Gastein. Among the problems that health systems will be faced with in a relatively near future, he mainly cited the movement of patients in the context of enlargement and the ageing population. In this context, Doctor Leiner insisted on the need to define common quality criteria for healthcare at European level. MEPs Reinhard Rack (ÖVP) and Agnes Schierhuber (ÖVP) also stressed that enlargement will have an impact on the health systems of current Member States, mainly in border regions. They felt, however, that this must not be an obstacle and that one should begin preparing for it. They also hoped that minimum norms would be established at European level but Mr Rack, who sees this as an essential condition for the free movement of patients, urged for a "bottom up" approach so as not to "leave the European legislator to do it alone".