The EFN attended the Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health hearing introducing its new framework for the resilient organisation of health and social care following the COVID-19 pandemic. This hearing aimed to provide EU-health stakeholders with an opportunity to share their views on their draft opinion.
The Members of the Panel explained the framework that they have created. It has a series of building blocks used to conduct their analysis of health systems. On the one hand, we have the health systems inputs (e.g., health workforce, community carers, medical products, infrastructure, technology, governance…), look at how these relate to the outputs (e.g., healthcare services, social and community care, access, health promotion activities, quality, responsiveness, etc.) and finally in the outcomes (health, wellbeing and financial protection). All these “columns” are influenced by the financing arrangements for patients, individuals and providers; as well as for the efficiency of the organisation. Finally, both the outputs and the outcomes linked to equality.
The final opinion of the Panel will be available at their website.
The EFN would like to remind the experts, of which no one is a nurse (!) and all EU-health stakeholders that co-creation, even academic co-creation, is needed. Co-creation with the end-users is key to get a better idea on how best to reform the healthcare system. We need to urgently move from ‘talk about the health systems’ towards ‘talk with the health systems’, meaning talking WITH the frontline nurses, 3 million in the EU, 6 million in Europe. European Institutions and WHO Europe need to empower the nursing professions so their health policies become more fit-for-purpose.
Furthermore, the rhetoric needs to change: we are now coming into the second wave of COVID 19 and frontline nurses have given all their best to come through these last 8 difficult months. And we see now nurses leaving the nursing professions, up to 25%! EU institutions and WHO Europe needs to urgently take care of those who care!
EFN compiled a series of lessons learned from the Ebola and COVID-19 crisis into a comprehensive report (which is available online). Let’s cross fingers politicians in EU institutions, including their Agents, WHO Europe and National governments read this report. Anyhow, we are NOT prepared unless we are all prepared, a message already advocated for by EFN since 2013!