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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now on the political agenda like never before. The WHO has called AMR a ‘silent pandemic’. The issue has been discussed by the G7 and it is among the priorities highlighted in the mission letter sent by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the Commissioner responsible for health, Stella […]

We all know that working in stressful environments makes health workers more prone to medical errors which can lead to patient harm. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the risks health workers are facing including emotional disturbances, healthcare-associated infections, illness and even death. As we mark World Patient Safety Day 2020, it is crucial to address health […]

Europe’s medical device industry has always agreed that Europe’s regulatory system for devices needs to be improved and has put forward various proposals to achieve this. In the wake of a case of fraud like the PIP breast implant incident, it is clear that we need a safer system that makes sure Europe’s patients continue to have timely access to the latest life-saving and life-enhancing medical technologies.

The current situation for patient safety is alarming in Member States. It is estimated that 37,000 deaths occur in Europe each year from preventable infections acquired while receiving treatment. Yet, this figure published by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), could very well be a low estimate as Member States differ in their measurements of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs), often in how frequently data is collected, for which infections data is collected and how data on infections is reported. This is of particular importance because when we talk about patient safety, we often do not have comparable information to really understand what the state of patient safety in Europe truly is. That is to say, we do not always know which healthcare settings are safe when we seek care.