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EU health ministers to let the national experts run their national healthcare systems

Press release

Hospital Social Partners urge EU health ministers to let the national experts run their national healthcare systems

“We cannot let market forces run healthcare systems or we will end up with a two-tier system of healthcare delivery” said Godfrey Perera, General Secretary, European Hospital and Healthcare Employers association (HOSPEEM).

The Hospital sector employers and trade unions in Europe today joined forces to send a message to EU Health Ministers. The Social Partners for the sector were speaking on the draft EU directive on cross-border healthcare which is being discussed by EU Health Ministers in Luxembourg today.

The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), represented by Karen Jennings (UNISON, UK) and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers association (HOSPEEM), represented by Mr. Perera sent the joint message to the EU Health Ministers before 600 public service trade unionists at the EPSU Congress in Brussels.

They urged the EU Ministers to base the directive on a joint legal basis of public health and the internal market. The joint basis would have allowed Member States to ensure that all citizens have equal rights to high quality healthcare based on medical need, and not just the ability to pay their travel, accommodation and other costs.

EPSU Chair of the Healthcare Committee, Karen Jennings:
“The EU Ministers, meeting today, have a chance to put this health debate back on the right track, by recognizing that the universal principles of healthcare solidarity are the starting point and not the internal market”.

Secretary General of HOSPEEM, Godfrey Perera:
“To guard the principle of healthcare systems based on solidiarity, national healthcare systems must have the right to organise those systems – to do this, they need proper prior authorisation abilities”.

The issue of allowing Member State to give prior authorisation to patients, who wish to travel, remains a major issue, as is the need to consider the subject of rare diseases under separate legislations. The EU Health Ministers are expected to conclude discussions tomorrow, 10 June.

For further information, please contact:
EPSU: Brian Synnott +32 474 98 96 75 | E-mail: epsu@epsu.org
HOSPEEM: Valeria Ronzitti / Gin Ngan +32 2 229 21 57 | E-mail: hospeem@hospeem.eu

HOSPEEM is the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers Association. It regroups at European level national , regional and local employers’ associations operating in the hospital and health care sector and delivering services of general interest, in order to co-ordinate their views and actions with regard to a sector and a market in constant evolution. HOSPEEM is an individual member of CEEP.

EPSU is the European Federation of Public Service Unions. It is the largest federation of the ETUC. 8 million public service workers from over 200 trade unions are members. They organise workers in the energy, water and waste sectors, health and social services and local and national administration.

Social Dialogue Hospeem

Social Partners announce EU-wide agreement on Medical Sharps injuries

EPSU 8th Congress: European Hospital Social Partners announce EU-wide agreement on Medical Sharps injuries

Press Communication

First EU wide text agreed by Hospital trade unions and employers set to prevent over one million injuries per year.

The European Hospital Social Partners – The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) represented by the President of EPSU health Committee, Karen Jennings and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM) represented by General Secretary, Godfrey Perera have announced, before 600 trade union leaders attending the EPSU Congress, a European agreement, which is set to prevent over 1 million medical sharp injuries per year, for healthcare workers.

Welcoming the agreement, Karen Jennings stated that “this represents tremendous progress for the European Hospital social dialogue process, but most importantly it makes a clear and positive contribution to the working lives of Europe’s healthcare workers.”

Godfrey Perera said that “ this deal is in the interest of the Hospital Employers, who have a moral obligation to protect their workers health and safety, but who gain also in financial terms as good protection decreases any days lost for these highly trained hospital staff.”

The aim of the negotiations (successfully concluded) was to reach a European-wide agreement on measures to tackle the issue of injuries from sharps (such as needlesticks) in hospitals. This issue has been estimated to cause up to one million injuries to healthcare staff per annum.

The European Social Partners will ask for the Commission to present this agreement to the Council of Ministers to implement it through an EU directive.

The Social Partners (HOSPEEM and EPSU) met with Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Vladimir Spidla on 20 January 2009. Mr. Spidla expressed his support for the negotiations and stated that he was pleased that the European Social Dialogue process was being used to address such an important health and safety issue.

This is the first formal agreement between the European Hospital Social Partners.

Consultations Hospeem

HOSPEEM response to the European Commission Green Paper Consultation on the European Workforce for Health

This paper summarises the responses received from HOSPEEM members to the Commission’s consultation on European Workforce for Health. HOSPEEM members recognise there are many common challenges on workforce which EU healthcare systems face and welcomes the Commission’s intention to open a wide ranging debate to attempt to identify solutions.

FULL TEXT: HOSPEEM response to EC Green Paper – Euro Workforce

Social Dialogue Hospeem

Commissioner on ‘Sharp Injuries’ negotiations

Hospital Social Partners meet Employment Commissioner on ‘Sharp Injuries’ negotiations

Representatives of the European Hospital Social Partners met with the European Commission for high level talks on the upcoming ‘Sharp Injuries’ negotiations.

The Social Partners (HOSPEEM and EPSU for hospital employees) met with Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Vladimir Spidla on 20 January. Mr Spidla expressed his support for the upcoming negotiations and stated that he was pleased that the European Social Dialogue process was being used to address such an important health and safety issue.

The aim of the negotiations is to reach a European-wide agreement on measures to tackle the issue of injuries from sharps (such as needlesticks) in hospitals. HOSPEEM Secretary General Godfrey Perera and EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel (pictured with Commissioner Spidla) had previously sent a joint letter to the Commissioner announcing their intention to start formal social dialogue negotiations on the issue of sharp injuries in hospitals. The Social Dialogue talks are due to start on 26 January 2009.

HOSPEEM-EPSU ‘Sharp Injuries’ negotiations letter to Commissoner Spidla

Consultations Hospeem

HOSPEEM Position Statement on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare

On the 2nd July 2008, the European Commission published its proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare. This follows the open consultation that the Commission ran between September 2006 and January 2007 which came in response to a series of European Court of Justice (ECJ) Judgments on health services in the European Union.  The ECJ-Judgements stated that, under certain conditions, EU citizens were entitled to access healthcare in another Member State and be reimbursed for this treatment by their national health systems. The judgments have created uncertainty surrounding the interpretation of case law at European level for patients and for the national healthcare systems.

HOSPEEM supports the desire to establish legal certainty regarding patients’ rights in relation to healthcare treatment in other EU Member States, thus avoiding the situation whereby the ECJ exercises political authority in the field by virtue of its rulings in individual cases. However, the Directive goes beyond the rulings of the ECJ, both in relation to the scope and the content of the Directive, most notably in relation to prior authorisation systems.

HOSPEEM questions that Article 95 of the EC Treaty, relating to internal market harmonisation, is the proper legal basis for a Directive on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare.  In contrast to the view of the European Commission, HOSPEEM sees a fundamental conflict between Article 95 and the principles enshrined in Article 152 of the EC Treaty which outline the responsibilities of the Member States to fund, organise and deliver health services.

FULL TEXT: HOSPEEM Position Statement

News, Social Dialogue Hospeem

Green paper on EU health workforce

Green paper on EU health workforce: Commissioner Vassiliou calls for social partners’ contribution

Press Communication

European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM)
European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)

On Monday 14 July a joint Hospital Social Partner delegation met Commissioner Vassiliou.

Commissioner Vassiliou explained the rationale for promoting the Cross-border Healthcare Directive. She underlined in particular the need for better collaboration between the Member States as well as the establishment of centres of excellence as one major objective of the directive. Christina Carlsen, while welcoming the intention of bringing legal clarity, expressed HOSPEEM’s concern that the planning capacity at national level might face new challenges. “It will be difficult to foresee what flow of patients we have to expect”, said HOSPEEM Vice Secretary General. According to the Commission services this directive would count for 1 % of the EU population with a perspective to increase to 4 % in the future. The bulk of medical treatment will continue to be delivered at home. Where medical treatment is sought abroad this will be delivered mainly under the provisions of regulation 1408, for example during major sports events. “If this is the case, why not adapt the existing regulations in accordance with EU jurisprudence?” asked Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, EPSU.General Secretary. “We therefore wonder what exactly the added value of the proposed directive will be?”

Importantly, Commissioner Vassiliou agreed on the need to develop structured cooperation with the Hospital Social Partners in the future. DG SANCO intends to publish a Green paper on health workforce, in December 2008.

The European-wide lack of qualified health professionals and the migration of health care professionals within and across the European Union borders require a common policy at European level.

Commissioner Vassiliou invited the social partners to address the questions related to health staff shortages in Europe. “The role of employers and workers is a key factor when it comes to successfully developing and implementing these policies”

The starting point for an had hoc input of the social partners to the ongoing Commission work will be the Code of Conduct and follow up on Ethical Cross-Border Recruitment and Retention in the Hospital Sector, signed in April 2007. The text deals with many of the aspects the Commission is intending to tackle, such as strategies to promote ethical cross border recruitment and to prevent acute staff shortages in the so called “donating countries”.

The meeting of the Health Commissioner with the EPSU and HOSPEEM leadership marks a significant step in the relations between the European Commission and European Social Partners in the hospital sector.
-ends-

For further information, please contact:

HOSPEEM: Gin Ngan +32 2 229 21 58, hospeem@hospeem.eu
EPSU: Tamara Goosens +32 2 250 10 80, tgoosens@epsu.org

EPSU is the European Federation of Public Service Unions. It is the largest federation of the ETUC. 8 million public service workers and their 213 trade unions are members. They organise workers in health and social services, local and national administration, energy, water, waste.In the health and social services sector EPSU organises 3.5 million members
HOSPEEM is the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers Association. It regroups at European level national employers’ associations operating in the hospital and health care sector and delivering services of general interest, in order to co-ordinate their views and actions with regard to a sector and a market in constant evolution. HOSPEEM is an individual member of CEEP

Social Dialogue Hospeem

Patient’s rights directive proposal: Further clarity needed

Godfrey Perera, Secretary General of HOSPEEM, today commented on the European Commission’s proposals in relation to the application of patients’ rights in cross border healthcare

“As hospital and healthcare employers, HOSPEEM welcomes any action that will benefit patients within the constraints of affordability for each Member State and which does not threaten the viability of health systems. Although HOSPEEM has concerns about some of the European Commission’s proposals, it is pleased that the Commission is trying to resolve the current impasse and uncertainty. HOSPEEM believes that healthcare should be guaranteed by a clear legislative framework and not be subject to uncertainty created by court judgements. It is also vital that issues such as patient safety, reimbursement of costs and the right to legal redress are resolved. However, the Directive, as currently drafted seems to go beyond the rulings of the ECJ, by making it very difficult for the Member States to ask for prior authorisation for hospital treatment abroad. This might have serious consequences for the organisation, financing and delivery of healthcare in European Member States.”

While patient’s rights to treatment abroad have been enshrined in European law, HOSPEEM believes that the Commission’s proposals also have the potential to create health inequalities. Although all patients will have rights to access healthcare in other Member States, only the mobile and well informed patients will be able to benefit. What about the patients who are not mobile? According to the Commission’s figures, they represent over 90% whose healthcare needs are met through care provided by their domestic system.

HOSPEEM takes the view that further clarification is needed about the authorisation process. We believe that patients should be required to go through prior authorisation procedures in their home country before seeking hospital care abroad and asking to be reimbursed for this care. Prior authorisation procedures allow healthcare systems to monitor their finances, plan the delivery of services and the management of the healthcare workforce.

HOSPEEM members believe it is important that when patients go abroad for treatment then their home health system, as the financer of the care, is able to decide what treatment is most appropriate. HOSPEEM takes the strong view that Member States should be able to retain the right to plan services and manage resources in order to ensure the financial viability of their health systemsand that the European Commission do not go beyond their competences in this area
HOSPEEM is concerned that the draft directive could also create extra bureaucratic burdens for health systems which could prove expensive and time consuming.

Therefore we want to ensure that all the ramifications of the Commissions’ proposals are properly considered and look forward to working closely with the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, so that the views of European hospital and healthcare employers are taken in to account. Moreover, we look forward to see included into the debate the position of the hospital sector social partners as expressed in the joint statement on health services in the European Union.

To conclude, said Godfrey Perera, “We hope that the co-decision procedure will provide answers to the questions we are putting forward today and will give us back a text that will genuinely be helpful to all EU patients and healthcare providers.”

EPSU-HOSPEEM Joint declaration – December 2007

Projects Hospeem

“Strengthening Social Dialogue in the hospital sector in the new Member States and candidate countries”

Project funded under budget heading 04.03.03.01 (Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue)

FULL TEXT: National Reports Overview | National reports

Introduction

After several years of pre-social dialogue process led by the Joint Representative Taskforce[1], the Committee on social dialogue in the hospital sector (henceforward: the Committee) will soon be established. The Committee aims to improve the quality of employment and quality of services in the hospital sector by means of constructive social dialogue.

Adequate representativity of EPSU and HOSPEEM is an important condition for success. However, social partners from new Member States are not yet very well represented in the European Social Dialogue. Moreover, the situation and status of Social Dialogue within some of these Member States leaves much to be desired. A strong national dialogue is a conditio sine qua non for adequate representativity in Europe. In turn, a high level of representativity will make the sectoral dialogue more effective at the EU level. Hence, capacity-building in the new Member States is a major priority in the work programme of the Committee.

In this project HOSPEEM, EPSU and national social partners from Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Netherlands have joined forces to strengthen the Sectoral Social Dialogue in the EU 27 and to increase representativity in the Social Dialogue Committee. They wish to remove some of the main obstacles for constructive dialogue on national and EU level. They will combine theoretical and practical methods to tackle problems of a different character, thus optimising the final project result.

Link to the objectives and priorities of the budget heading

This project is the first major initiative of the Social Dialogue Committee for Hospitals after the formalisation in September 2006. This project will support the implementation of a major issue of the work programme of the Committee, i.e. strengthening Social Dialogue in the new Member States and candidate countries. It will also help to increase the representativity of social partners in the EU Social Dialogue, especially from the employers’ side. Finally, the pilot activities will contribute to the development of the three major topics defined in the EPSU-HOSPEEM work programme 2006-2007(ageing, recruitment and retention, skill needs).


[1] The Joint representative task force in the hospital sector was founded in 2002 by members of EPSU and CEEP involved in an informal social dialogue since 1999.

Social Dialogue Hospeem

Social Partners’ work programme 2008-2010

Work Programme 2008-2010

EPSU and HOSPEEM agreed in the Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector on 7 December 2007 to continue their work and their joint partnership approach as developed during the period of their first work programme in 2006-2007. This work will serve as basis for further activities in the Hospital Sector Social Dialogue as presented in this work programme. The work programme will cover a period starting from the date of signature until 31 December 2010. This timing gives the Social Dialogue Committee better opportunities for planning, complete and follow up on the priorities for the period. Halfway in the period the Committee will take stock on the work in order to make eventual changes in the planned activities and priorities where appropriate.

The main priority for HOSPEEM and EPSU in the coming years is to strengthen the social dialogue in the hospital sector at European, national and local level and take up our responsibilities as the recognized social partner European organizations for employers and workers in the hospital sector.

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