The EFN General Secretary participated in a Conference entitled “Recipes for Sustainable Healthcare”, hosted by AbbVie, Philips and the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), which brought together EU stakeholders and policy-makers to share their ideas, experience and possible solutions to help inform a more sustainable and forward-thinking healthcare environment for the future. The main conclusion of this debate is that it is essential to have an innovative approach, focusing on sustainable healthcare. Taking this same concerns forward, the Royal College of Nurses (a member of EFN) published a report on ‘Moving care to the community: an international perspective’ which addresses the international thinking and reforms on moving care out of hospital and closer to patient’s homes, where appropriate, focussing on the reforms undertaken in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Australia and Canada. The report also outlines the impact of these reforms on the nursing workforce; and provides recommendations for key stakeholders.
Nurses have a key role to play in making change happen as they are a fundamental link between hospitals, primary care and social services, and play a key role in ensuring the continuity of care beyond sectorial boundaries. Nonetheless, an innovated and integrated approach to health and social care provision implies having a highly educated nursing workforce based on the modernised minimum requirements as set out in the Directive on recognition of professional qualifications (DIR 2005/36/EC) which final version approved by end of June 2013 will ensure quality and safety.
