News archive

Healthcare Regulators in Dialogue with the European Parliament

22 January 2008

On 22 January 2008 the Healthcare Professionals Crossing Borders initiative facilitated a discussion event, in the European Parliament in Brussels, bringing together MEPs, European policy makers and regulators from across the EU. The round-table meeting enabled regulators and MEPs to discuss the contribution of effective healthcare regulation to safe and high quality healthcare across Europe.

The importance and current relevance of this debate was acknowledged by the attendance of the European Commissioner for Health, Markos Kyprianou. In addressing the event Commissioner Kyprianou, said: “Clearly a fundamental requirement for safe and high quality healthcare in Europe is ensuring that European citizens are treated by safe and high quality healthcare professionals. I welcome all efforts made….to develop procedures that protect the public against dangerous or impaired practitioners.”

The other speakers were Professor Sir Graeme Catto, President of the GMC, Dr. Andras Zsigmond of the Hungarian Ministry of Health, Dr. Ambrose McLaughlin, Registrar of the Irish Pharmaceutical Society, and Mr Jos van den Heuvel, former Chief Dental Officer of the Netherlands.

The event took place in advance of the publication of a new draft Directive on patient mobility and cross-border healthcare in Europe.

Arlene McCarthy MEP who chaired and hosted the discussion stressed the importance of protecting patient safety in the light of any new legislation. She said: “Ensuring patient safety is top of MEP's list of priorities when it comes to healthcare. Health professionals, as well as patients, cross European borders, and we need to ensure there is proper regulation in place to guarantee a high standard of patient care and safety.”