Fruitful two-day event in Luxembourg: Supporting Knowledge and Capacity Building Workshop with National Contact Points to Improve Information to Patients

On 8 and 9 February, the European Commission held a Supporting Knowledge and Capacity Building Workshop with the National Contact Points to Improve Information to Patients on their rights on cross-border healthcare.  The event was held in Luxembourg and saw 26 representatives from the National Contact Points (NCPs) from 19 countries, while representatives from four Member States connected online. the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the Directorate General for Employment (DG EMPL) and Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) took part as well.

The aim of the workshop was to address several recommendations following the evaluation of the Cross-border health care. The workshop first explored the interplay between the Directive 2011/24/EU and the Social Security Coordination Regulations and ways to raise awareness and better communicate with patients about their rights.  Discussion then turned toward making information on the European Reference Networks available on NCPs’ websites and improving website accessibility for people with disabilities.

A demonstration of the Health Policy Platform was provided, which led NCPs to express their interest in creating a dedicated network there. The workshop ended with a brainstorming session to discuss NCPs needs and how funds from the EU4Health programme might be used to enhance the implementation of the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive 2011/24/EU.