Strasbourg, 13/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - On 9 June, the European Parliament approved the Commission's communication on patient mobility and the ideas it contains on restructuring cooperation in the field of health care, in its overwhelming majority adoption (554 in favour, 12 against and 18 abstentions) of the own-initiative report by British Conservative John Bowis. At the same time, however, it regrets the fact that this communication contains no timetable or commitment in favour of an integrated policy based around patient mobility.
By following its rapporteur, the Parliament feels that cross-border co-operation in terms of efficient and urgent health care provision must be promoted, particularly in the case of emergencies, chronic illnesses, serious ailments and allergies. It calls upon the Commission to look at harmonising proceedings for the reimbursement of expenses in full respect of national rules as per regulation 1408 of 1971 and also Court of Justice case law, in order to guarantee patients' legal security in terms of reimbursement. It feels that rules governing the issuing of prescriptions, the execution of prescriptions and the reimbursement of purchases of medication by patients in another Member State should be brought in between the Member States, to further patient mobility. Although it welcomes efforts made to set up reference centres and the potential advantages offered in terms of the treatment of rare diseases, the Parliament also stresses that extra funding will be necessary to support the network of these centres. The Parliament also calls upon the Commission to ensure that the European Health Card is adapted to the needs of pensioners from one Member State residing or temporarily staying in another Member State.
The EP calls upon the Member States to adopt a "patient's Charter" recognising: -the right to receive appropriate health care from a qualified member of the medical profession; -the right to receive comprehensible, relevant and well-adapted information and advice from a doctor; -the right to decide for themselves, on the basis of the full information; -the right for all treatment to be documented and to have access to the dossier; -the right to confidentiality and data protection; -the right to make a complaint; -the assurance that no medical observation or experiment will take place without their prior agreement.