Dear UEHP members,

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies has just published a special issue of its journal, Eurohealth, in collaboration with WHO/Europe and the European Commission. This issues draws on data from the COVID-19 Health System Response Monitor to examine health system responses to COVID-19.

This special issue includes perspectives on the pandemic by WHO/Europe and the European Commission as well as lessons from the first wave, health system resilience, responding to the economic crisis, and translating evidence into policy. Additionally, this Eurohealth provides analyses of the challenges, progress and lessons with responding to the COVID-19 pandemic under the following headings:

• Preventing transmission
• Ensuring sufficient workforce capacity
• Providing health services effectively
• Paying for services
• Governance

Also, please find here the registration links to the upcoming webinars of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies available at  https://www.euro.who.int/__data/
assets/pdf_file/0003/466347/Webinar
-series-COVID-19-Observatory.pdf

Best regards,

Ilaria Giannico

Secretary General

UEHP – European Union of Private Hospitals

Dear UEHP members,

I am writing to inform you that today, the European Commission adopted its 2021 work programme, designed to make Europe healthier, fairer and more prosperous, while accelerating its long-term transformation into a greener economy, fit for the digital age. It contains new legislative initiatives across all six headline ambitions of President von der Leyen's Political Guidelines and follows her first State of the Union Speech. While delivering on the priorities set out in this work programme, the Commission will continue to put all its efforts into managing the crisis, and into making Europe's economies and societies more resilient.

Delivering on EU priorities

1. A European Green Deal : To achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, the Commission will table a Fit for 55 package to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030. This will cover wide-ranging policy areas – from renewables to energy efficiency first, energy performance of buildings, as well as land use, energy taxation, effort sharing and emissions trading. A Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will help reduce the risk of carbon leakage and ensure a level-playing field by encouraging EU partners to raise their climate ambition. In addition, the Commission will propose measures to implement Europe's circular economy action plan, the EU biodiversity strategy and the farm to fork strategy.

1. A Europe fit for the digital age : To make this Europe's digital decade, the Commission will put forward a roadmap of clearly defined 2030 digital targets, related to connectivity, skills and digital public services. The focus will be on the right to privacy and connectivity, freedom of speech, free flow of data and cybersecurity. The Commission will legislate in areas covering safety, liability, fundamental rights and data aspects of artificial intelligence. In the same spirit, it will propose a European e-ID. Initiatives will also include an update of the new industrial strategy for Europe, to take into account the impacts of the coronavirus, as well as a legislative proposal to improve the working conditions of platform workers.

1. An economy that works for people : To ensure that the health and economic crisis does not turn into a social crisis, the Commission will put forward an ambitious action plan to implement fully the European Pillar of Social Rights, making sure that no one is left behind in Europe's recovery. The Commission will also come forward with a new European child guarantee, ensuring access to basic services like health and education for all children. To support our economies and strengthen the Economic and Monetary Union, it will revise the framework for handling EU bank failures, take measures to boost cross-border investment in the EU, and step up the fight against money laundering.

1. A stronger Europe in the world : The Commission will ensure that Europe plays its vital role in this fragile world, including by leading the global response to secure a safe and accessible vaccine for all. It will propose a Joint Communication on strengthening the EU's contribution to a rules‑based multilateralism, a renewed partnership with our Southern neighbourhood and a Communication on the Arctic. A new strategic approach to support disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants will also be presented. A Communication on the EU's humanitarian aid will explore new ways of working with our partners and other donors.

1. Promoting our European way of life : In the face of COVID-19, the Commission will propose to build a stronger European Health Union, notably by strengthening the role of existing agencies and establishing a new agency for biomedical advanced research and development. To preserve and improve its functioning, a new strategy for the future of Schengen will be tabled. The new pact on migration and asylum will be followed up with a number of proposed measures on legal migration, including a ‘talent and skills' package. Other elements include an action plan against migrant smuggling, as well as a sustainable voluntary return and reintegration strategy. The Commission will continue to strengthen the Security Union, addressing terrorism, organised crime and hybrid threats. It will also present a comprehensive strategy on combating antisemitism.

1. A new push for European democracy : To build a union of equality, the Commission will present new strategies on rights of the child and for persons with disabilities, as well as a proposal to combat gender-based violence. It will also propose to extend the list of euro-crimes to include all forms of hate crime and hate speech. The Commission will propose clearer rules on the financing of European political parties and take action to protect journalists and civil society against abusive litigation. A long-term vision for rural areas will propose actions to harness the full potential of these regions.

A full list of the 44 new policy objectives under the six headline ambitions are set out in Annex 1 of the 2021 work programme.

Next Steps : The Commission's 2021 work programme is the result of close cooperation with the European Parliament, Member States and the EU consultative bodies. The Commission will now start discussions with the Parliament and Council to establish a list of joint priorities on which co-legislators agree to take swift action.

Background : Every year, the Commission adopts a work programme setting out the list of actions it will take in the coming twelve months. The work programme informs the public and the co-legislators of our political commitments to present new initiatives, withdraw pending proposals and review existing EU legislation. It does not cover the ongoing work of the Commission to implement its role as Guardian of the Treaties and enforce existing legislation or the regular initiatives that the Commission adopts every year. The 2021 Commission work programme is closely linked to the recovery plan for Europe, with the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument and a reinforced EU budget for 2021-2027. The Recovery and Resilience Facility will channel an unprecedented €672.5 billion of grants and loans in the crucial first year of recovery. Meanwhile, Member States are drawing up recovery and resilience plans that set out reforms and investments aligned with the EU green and digital policy objectives: with a minimum 37% of green transition expenditure, and a minimum 20% related to digital. To repay the funds raised under NextGenerationEU, the Commission will put forward proposals for new own resources starting with a revised Emission Trading System, a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and a digital levy.

For more information:

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/
presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1940

Bets regards,

Ilaria

Ilaria Giannico

Â

Secretary General

UEHP – European Union of Private Hospitals

1-10-2020

Διοικητικο Συμβουλιο της UEHP, Ευρωπαικης Ενωσης Ιδιωτικων Νοσοκομειων, πραγματοποιηθηκε σημερα διαδικτυακα κατα την διαρκεια του οποιου καθοριστηκε η ημερομηνια διεξαγωγης της επομενης Γενικης Συνελευσης η οποια θα ειναι εκλογικη, δηλαδη θα εκλεξει το νεο ΔΣ για την διετια 2021-2023. Η ΓΣ θα πραγματοποιηθει στις Βρυξελλες και εαν οι συνθηκες δεν το επιτρεψουν θα πραγματοποιηθει μεσω διαδικτυου με ηλεκτρονικη ψηφοφορια.

Κατα την διαρκεια του ΔΣ το καθε μελος αναφερθηκε στην κατασταση που επικρατει στην χωρα του σε σχεση με την πανδημια.

Μεγαλος αριθμος κρουσματων παρατηρουνται στην Πολωνια, οπου υπαρχει μεγαλη ελλειψη ιατρων, προσωπικου και ιατρικου εξοπλισμου, στην Τσεχια, στην Γαλλια, την Γερμανια, την Πορτογαλια με καθημερινα αυξανομενο ρυθμο, την Ισπανια με 1200 κρουσματα την ημερα και με 500 νοσηλευομενους σε ΜΕΘ, την Ελβετια με 240 θανατους ανα εκατομμυριο κατοικους ενω καλυτερη ειναι η κατασταση στην Ιταλια, σε σχεση με το πρωτο κυμα της πανδημιας, λογω της μεγαλης εμπειριας που αποκτηθηκε την περασμενη Ανοιξη.

Οικονομικα καταστροφικη ειναι η κατασταση για τις Ιδιωτικες Κλινικες της Πολωνιας, της Ισπανιας και της Πορτογαλιας.

Ας ευχηθουμε οι επομενοι μηνες θα ειναι καλυτεροι και εμβολια και θεραπεια να υπαρξουν το συντομοτερο δυνατο.

Dear UEHP members,

As you know, this morning, the European Commission's President, Ursula Von der Leyen, held her first annual speech on the state of the EU to the European Parliament.

Usually, health policy is lucky to be mentioned at all during a State of the Union address. (Commission President Jean Claude Juncker rarely discussed health policy — except for an unusual intervention on vaccines in 2017 that led to the star-studded vaccine summit in 2019.) That changed this time around, when Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her first address this morning and layed out some lessons of the coronavirus pandemic for future EU health initiatives.

It’s time for the European Union to bolster its health competence, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today. “It is crystal clear: We need to build a strong European health union,” von der Leyen said. “It is time to do that.”

One of her key proposals is creating a European version of the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to help the EU better respond during emergencies relating to cross-border threats.The EU also needs strategic stockpiling and should fix its supply chain issues, especially for pharmaceutical goods, she said.Furthermore, she noted, there’s a need to “reinforce” existing European health agencies such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). More broadly, it’s “clearer than ever that we must discuss the question of health competencies” at the Conference on the Future of Europe, she said, drawing applause from parliamentarians. The Commission president also mentioned the EU4Health program, which was cut from nearly €10 billion to nearly €2 billion during negotiations with the Council over the bloc’s long-term budget. Von der Leyen said it’s time to make the program “future proof,” and added she’s “grateful” that the European Parliament will “fight for more” money. Last, von der Leyen said, she will convene a global health summit in Italy next year, when Italy will head the G20 Presidency.

Specifically on the EU action to fight the pandemic, President Ursula von der Leyen patted Europe on the back today for not adopting a “Europe first” policy when it comes to its coronavirus response. Without naming names, von der Leyen noted that other countries chose to “retreat into isolation” while others opted to “actively destabilize the system.” By contrast, “Europe chose to reach out,” she said, as she delivered her first speech on the state of the EU to MEPs. As an example, she cited the EU’s decision to send planes with tons of medical equipment to countries in need, including Sudan, Venezuela and Somalia. Most notably, however, von der Leyen pointed to the Commission’s work in establishing the Coronavirus Global Response. After two online events, it has raised roughly €16 billion toward ensuring global access to affordable vaccines, therapeutics and tests. “At the beginning of the pandemic, there was no funding, no global framework for a COVID-19 vaccine,” she said. “There was just the rush to be the first one to get one.” She pointed to how the Commission pledged €400 million toward the COVAX facility, an effort by the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to get wealthier countries to help finance vaccines for low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, Von der Leyen said, Europe should take the lead in reforming the WHO.

She made those comments amid ongoing criticism that the Commission’s vaccine strategy — which it unveiled in June to allow Brussels to advance purchase coronavirus vaccines — is de facto a “Europe First” policy. The Commission’s involvement with COVAX is also unclear, as it has yet to clarify whether it will procure vaccines through the facility or just give money.

Those are the key takeaway for healthcare from today's speech in front of the European parliament. If you wish to read more on the full speech: 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/strategic-planning/
state-union-addresses/state-union-2020_en

Συμφωνα με ανακοινωση του ΕΟΠΥΥ οι Κλινικες πρεπει να αποστειλουν στο Κεντρο Διαλογης στον Ασπροπυργο τα φυσικα αρχεια ΕΔΑΠΥ Ιουνιου 2020 από 11/8 εως 28/8 και του Ιουλιου 2020 από 31/8 εως 4/9/2020.