A European prescription for smart, resilient health systems

The European Commission president’s strong messages on health in September’s State of the Union address kicked off a busy autumn and winter, marked by both the prolongation of the COVID-19 pandemic and renewed political interest and investment in health throughout the European Union. Millions of patients have seen their care postponed or reduced as healthcare systems struggle to cope. Chronic patients are disproportionately affected by this crisis as advocates from the cardiovascular, cancer and diabetes communities report increased risks of severe illness and big delays in accessing care. The rapid transition to digital consultations and remote monitoring paves the way for the shift towards more primary or home-based care.

After a shaky start, a European response to COVID-19 has emerged. Member states, traditionally wary of sharing power in healthcare, have joined forces under the coordination of the Commission. With an overall increase in budget to €5.1bn, the need for more ‘Europe’ in health is agreed and the EU political agenda is now shifting towards its increased role in health policy.

In November 2020, the Commission published a flurry of proposals on their vision for a European Health Union. Among the proposals, the mandate and resources of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency will be increased and a new body will be set up for strengthened health research and development in order to improve the Union’s crisis preparedness. A new pharmaceutical strategy has also been published with proposals to review key legislations and examine the adoption of trade agreements to secure patient access. This strategy is likely to be reinforced with calls to launch a high-level dialogue for the EU’s industrial strategic autonomy. Finally, a data governance act has been proposed to govern who has access to the data, what purposes it can be used for and how. It promises to have a strong impact on health data.

The Portuguese Presidency plans to present a ‘Charter of Digital Rights’, which will cover artificial intelligence. It will also prioritise investments in digitising public services in health and social welfare.

Within this context, Friends of Europe, supported by Baxter, has launched work on rethinking EU healthcare delivery models in a post-pandemic world. The first roundtable, ‘Rethinking EU healthcare delivery models for chronic patients’, took place in January, during which participants discussed the ideas for change and lessons to be learned from the COVID-19 emergency for chronic diseases. It explored what this means in practical terms for clinicians and patients, as well as lessons for the way care pathways should be restructured.

Related content

• Chronic care management in the context of healthcare system resilience
• How do health systems meet the challenge of managing chronic diseases during COVID-19 and beyond?
• Meeting the healthcare needs of chronic patients – lessons to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic” – a patient perspective
• Elderly patients are at substantial risk to COVID-19. How has their primary care been impacted by the pandemic, and how have health systems adapted accordingly?

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