EPF takes #europeforpatients to the European Parliament

On Wednesday 20 February, the European Patients’ Forum took to the European Parliament to present and gain support for our EU elections campaign #europeforpatients. EPF is calling on political leaders of the EU, Parliament candidates and the future Commission, to take action and ensure health is an EU policy priority. “Patients want and expect EU collaboration in health and a strong European health policy,” said Nicola Bedlington, Secretary General at EPF.

More specifically, our campaign is centered on the following five priorities:

• Patients’ access to the healthcare they need with no discrimination; 
• Patient empowerment, to be supported by new, comprehensive and up-to-date legislation on patients’ rights; 
• Europe’s future digital health tools and systems to be patient-driven;
• Patients to be involved as equal and fully-resourced partners in driving better research; 
• Patient organisations’ involvement in decision-making, both at EU and national level must be ensured.

The manifesto was presented to MEPs throughout the day at the Parliament, before and after a meeting of the MEP Interest Group on Patient Access to Healthcare organised in collaboration with the Patient Access Partnership (PACT), of which the EPF is a founding organisation. The event took stock of the achievements EU collaboration has brought to improving equal access to quality healthcare over the last few years, and also identified how the next legislature should consider patients’ priorities and what will be the future for EU cooperation in health.

EPF is most grateful to our six new supporters who on Wednesday committed to ensuring the five priorities in our manifesto are met promptly in the future EU legislature. If any of our readers know key health professionals who would be interested in supporting our campaign, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at communications@eu-patient.eu, or leave a message of support at www.europeforpatients.eu.