Modern, responsive and sustainable health systems

Health services play a central role in modern societies, helping people to maintain and improve their physical and mental well-being. They are also under severe financial strain. The European Union (EU) is now encouraging ways to identify the investment required to guarantee modern, responsive and sustainable health systems.

ACT

Council conclusions on the 'Reflection process on modern, responsive and sustainable health systems' see: Corrigendum to Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on 9 and 10 December 2013.

Corrigendum to Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on 9 and 10 December 2013.

SUMMARY

The EU is committed to ensuring that its various policies guarantee a high level of human health protection and that its activities complement the measures taken by national governments, which have ultimate responsibility for their citizens in this area.

Health is obviously a personal high priority. It also has wider societal implications. These range from labour supply and productivity, if illness leads to days off work, to the impact the overall cost of the service has on public expenditure. They affect the EU’s general competitiveness and the health of government finances. Both are areas where the EU has a strong role to play, particularly through its half-yearly assessment of national budgetary and fiscal policies and its overarching 2020 economic, social and environmental strategy.

EU governments agreed a series of recommendations in December 2013 to meet the twin goals of ensuring public health and sound public finances. These consist of recommendations to EU governments and the Commission.

Governments are being asked to assess the impact of reforms on health, poverty, employment, productivity and competitiveness. They are being urged to ensure that health and social services are no longer fragmented, but are integrated into national, regional and local programmes.

They are also invited to share best practices of successful modernisation of health and care systems so that these may be applied more widely across the EU.

The recommendations ask national authorities and the Commission to continue assessing the factors that impact on the availability, accessibility, price, cost, patient safety and innovation of medicines and medical devices and to work together to reduce the burden of chronic diseases.

Last updated: 16.06.2014