EU to tackle issue of patient safety
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《英国医生杂志》
European governments and the medical profession are combining to press for higher standards across the European Union of safety of patients. The framework for achieving this was set last week with the adoption a declaration calling for the introduction of a culture of patient safety throughout the entire health system. "The health sector should be designed in a way that errors and adverse events are prevented, detected or contained so that serious errors are avoided and compliance with safety procedures is enhanced," it notes.
The initiative has widespread backing. The two day conference that endorsed the declaration had the political backing of the Luxembourg government, which currently holds the rotating six month EU presidency. The United Kingdom is also committed to the declaration and, when it takes over from Luxembourg for the second half of the year, will hold a follow-up conference at the end of November.
The European Commission is involved, as are medical associations such as the Standing Committee of European Doctors, which took the lead in organising the event, with the support of bodies such as the European Health Management Association and the European Patients Forum.
Lisette Tiddens-Engwirda, the committee抯 secretary general, explained: "This first step is very important as it lifts the subject on to the European level, and it should be there since that is where the EU can give added value."
The declaration notes that almost half of all preventable adverse events are the result of treatment errors, and it sets out a series of recommendations to EU institutions, national authorities, and healthcare providers. It maintains that the health sector lags behind other industries and services that have introduced systematic safety processes.
The EU will now work with the World Health Organization in developing a common approach towards issues of patient safety and in establishing a "solution bank" containing examples of the best practices and standards.
Denmark is one place from which practitioners may draw inspiration. In June 2003 it became the first country to adopt a national law on patient safety. The law states that hospital operators must receive, register, and analyse reports on adverse events. A nurse or doctor who becomes aware of such an incident or a near miss must report it. The details are logged in a national register. The reports do not include details that can identify people, and medical staff cannot be subjected to disciplinary action for reporting any incidents.
The Luxembourg declaration says that for risk management to be effective, emphasis must be placed on learning from near misses, rather than concentrating on blame, shame, and punishment.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has published plans to increase the �70-80m that the EU currently spends on health and consumer protection to nearer �250m (?72m; $2323m) per annum between 2007 and 2013. The financial package has yet to be agreed by EU governments.(Brussels Rory Watson)
The initiative has widespread backing. The two day conference that endorsed the declaration had the political backing of the Luxembourg government, which currently holds the rotating six month EU presidency. The United Kingdom is also committed to the declaration and, when it takes over from Luxembourg for the second half of the year, will hold a follow-up conference at the end of November.
The European Commission is involved, as are medical associations such as the Standing Committee of European Doctors, which took the lead in organising the event, with the support of bodies such as the European Health Management Association and the European Patients Forum.
Lisette Tiddens-Engwirda, the committee抯 secretary general, explained: "This first step is very important as it lifts the subject on to the European level, and it should be there since that is where the EU can give added value."
The declaration notes that almost half of all preventable adverse events are the result of treatment errors, and it sets out a series of recommendations to EU institutions, national authorities, and healthcare providers. It maintains that the health sector lags behind other industries and services that have introduced systematic safety processes.
The EU will now work with the World Health Organization in developing a common approach towards issues of patient safety and in establishing a "solution bank" containing examples of the best practices and standards.
Denmark is one place from which practitioners may draw inspiration. In June 2003 it became the first country to adopt a national law on patient safety. The law states that hospital operators must receive, register, and analyse reports on adverse events. A nurse or doctor who becomes aware of such an incident or a near miss must report it. The details are logged in a national register. The reports do not include details that can identify people, and medical staff cannot be subjected to disciplinary action for reporting any incidents.
The Luxembourg declaration says that for risk management to be effective, emphasis must be placed on learning from near misses, rather than concentrating on blame, shame, and punishment.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has published plans to increase the �70-80m that the EU currently spends on health and consumer protection to nearer �250m (?72m; $2323m) per annum between 2007 and 2013. The financial package has yet to be agreed by EU governments.(Brussels Rory Watson)