News 07.04.2014 European healthcare provision under threat

Berlin/Brussels, April 7th, 2014.

Nearly half (46 percent) of all hospitals in Europe are in economic difficulties. This is shown by the current “European Hospital Rating Report”, compiled for the first time and now presented within the framework of the conference “World of Health IT” in Nice. “The results are a serious indictment of the entire European Union and policies in the participating countries”, declared the President of the European Association of Hospital Managers (EAHM), Heinz Kölking.

For years we have seen the difficulties associated with running a hospital cost-effectively growing in many European countries. The crisis has only worsened matters. Many governments in the affected countries have cut investment funding. According to the report, one in five hospitals are faced with a greatly increased risk of insolvency. This represents a threat to universal healthcare.” According to the EAHM President, this is the responsibility of the individual states, however it is becoming an increasingly European problem. For example, medical professionals and care staff are already leaving the crisis countries for other parts of the EU. This is further exacerbating the situation in their countries of origin.

At the 25th Congress of the EAHM from September 11th to 13th in Berlin, hospital managers and directors from all EU countries will discuss current healthcare policy problems and further challenges, exchanging ideas on possible solutions. Their general theme: “The Healthcare Industry – Ours responsibility Towards People”. Around 600 participants are expected.

The programme and further information can be found under www.eahm-berlin2014.de.

Background:

The European Association of Hospital Managers (EAHM) is a working group composed of 24 representative hospital manager associations from European countries with around 16,000 members.
The goals of the European Association include, amongst others:
•    Promoting the professional competence and the assumption of responsibility of directors and senior staff from hospital management and the hospital sector in the European countries
•    Developing proposals for the integration of the hospital sector in the EU as the basis for the establishment of a “social Europe”
•    Influencing EU directives that affect hospitals. 

The European Hospital Rating Report was compiled by the business consultants Accenture in cooperation with the Rheinisch-Westfälischen Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI). Accenture analysed 1,500 annual reports for 2011 from hospitals in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Since then the situation is likely to have worsened.
A summary of the European Hospital Rating Report can be found under Accenture European Hospital Rating Report

Contact

European Association of Hospital Managers (AEDH – EVKD – EAHM)                                   
Mr Willy Heuschen                                                                                                                       
General Secretary                                                                                                                         
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