EU unions send message to ministers on healthcare

Jun 9 2009

"We cannot let market forces run healthcare systems or we will end up with a two-tier system of healthcare delivery."

That was the message from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) - represented by UNISON's Karen Jennings - and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers Association (HOSPEEM) to EU health ministers, as cross-border healthcare was being discussed by in Luxembourg today.

Addressing 600 public service trade unionists at the EPSU Congress in Brussels, the unions and employers united in urging ministers to base the directive on a joint legal basis of public health and internal market.

This would allow 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.

Ms Jennings, who is chair of the EPSU healthcare committee, said: "The EU ministers, meeting today, have a chance to put this health debate back on the right track, by recognising that the universal principles of healthcare solidarity are the starting point and not the internal market."

Congress delegates also heard Ms Jennings and HOSPEEM general secretary Godfrey Perera announce a European agreement that will prevent more than one million medical sharp injuries per year for healthcare workers.

Ms Jennings said: "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."

And Mr Perera noted: "This deal is in the interest of the hospital employers, who have a moral obligation to protect their workers' health and safety, but who also gain in financial terms as good protection decreases any days lost for these highly trained hospital staff."

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