European Patients' Rights Day

 

Active Citizenship Network will celebrate the European Patients' Rights Day - which has reached its 18th edition - with a conference that will be held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 20 March from 16:30 to 18:30, kindly hosted by MEP Brando Benifei (S&D) and organised with the support of the MEPs Interest Group "European Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare".

Objectives of the event

-Highlight the issues of skill shortages, medical desertification, empowerment of healthcare professionals, and unmet patient needs in the upcoming elections.

-Acknowledge the vital role of all healthcare professionals.

-Encourage greater representation of these professionals at the European level.

-Promote a stronger alliance between health professionals and patients.

-Propose actionable insights for the upcoming European elections.

Origin & value of the European Patients’ Rights Day

In 2002, Active Citizenship Network (ACN), together with a group of European citizens organizations, drafted the European Charter of Patients’ Rights, which has been translated in 16 languages and includes the following 14 rights: 

-the right to preventive measures; 

-access care; 

-information; 

-consent; 

-free choice; 

-privacy and confidentiality; 

-respect of patients’ time; 

-observance of quality standards; 

-safety; 

-innovation; 

-avoidance of unnecessary suffering and pain; 

-personalized treatment; 

-to complain; 

-to receive compensation. 

All these rights, based on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, are crucial for European citizens and healthcare services. 

The majority of these rights were also embodied within the Council conclusions on Common values and principles in EU Health Systems adopted in June 2006.