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Patients' Rights Laws in Europe

Patient rights are a reflection of human rights. The human right movement has gathered importance in the world since 1945, when, on 10 December 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. This was followed, on 4 November, 1950, by the signature of the European Convention of Human Rights. The rights of the patients, as specific human rights became recognized throughout the European region only in the past two decades.

Especially important was the European Consultation on the Rights of Patients, held in Amsterdam on 28-30 March 1994 under the auspices of the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO-EURO), and hosted by the Government of the Netherlands, which was attended by some 60 persons from 36 Member States. The purpose was to define principles and strategies for promoting the rights of patients, within the context of the health care reform process underway in most countries in Europe.

Access to patient files is secured  by Article 18 of the Comment 34 to Article 19 (2) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 12 (b) (iv)General Comment 14 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Patients rights and their foundation in several European countries are described here:

• The European Ombudsman Speech, 3 June 2005 "Patients’ rights in Europe today"
• Hungarian Civil Liberties Union: Policy Paper On The Rights Of Patients and
• Index Foundation: http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/files/index-bg/. Short description of legal patients rights of 11 European countries can be found.
• Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH): Program on International Health and Human Rights. (Human Rights, Health and Development)
• GENETIC TESTING. Patients' Rights, Insurance and Employment. A Survey of Regulations in the European Union (http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/biosociety/pdf/genetic_testing_eur20446.pdf ).

Contents

• WHO Activities, Council of Europe and EU
• Patients' Rights Laws
• Charters of the Rights of Patients
• Patientennavigation.org
• Support patients' rights by E-Mail to the EU and European Parliament
• Support patients' rights by E-Mail to the Federal Government in Germany

WHO Activities, Council of Europe and EU

Patients' Rights Laws

Charters of the Rights of Patients

Six years after the WHO Declaration on the Promotion of Patients’ Rights in Europe (Amsterdam, 1994), more than eight countries (Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway) have enacted laws on the rights of patients; and four countries (France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom) have used Patients’ Charters as a tool to promote patients’ rights. (German version). European Journal of Health Law 7: 1-3, 2000: Lars Fallberg: Patients’ Rights in Europe: Where do we stand and where do we go?

Patientennavigation.org  

PatientNavigation is intended to improve transparency in health care by providing support to patients and their counsellors in finding their way through the tangled web of the health care system. It is not designed as a pilot, guiding and deciding, but as a compass that provides information but leaves the decision with the person concerned.

Support the Rights of Patients by E-Mail to the European Commission with a copy to the European Parliament.

Many countries in the EU have laws or charters securing the Rights of Patients. But minimum standards are lacking.  In order to give all citizens in Europe a minimum of patients rights and to keep up with the international development patients rights should be strengthened in EU member states.

Support Patients Rights, by the following E-Mail to the European Commission (click here):
I support the call to the European Commission for securing the rights of patients.
I a guideline I suggest to use European Charter of Patients Rights http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/files/european_charter.htm and the "Recommendation Rec (2000) 5 of the Council of Europe on the development of structures for citizen and patient participation in the decision-making process affecting health care": http://www.social.coe.int/en/qoflife/recomm/R(00)5.htm .
(You may change the text according to your needs).

Support the Rights of Patients by E-Mail to the Federal Government in Germany

Many countries in the EU have laws securing the Rights of Patients. Germany is one of the countries in the EU without such a law. In order to keep up with the international development a law on patients' rights should also be adopted in Germany.

Support a German Patients' Rights Law, by the following E-Mail to the German Government (click here):
I support the call to the German Government for securing the rights of patients by law.
I suggest to implement the European Charter of Patients Rights http://home.broadpark.no/~wkeim/files/european_charter.htm and the "Recommendation Rec (2000) 5 of the Council of Europe on the development of structures for citizen and patient participation in the decision-making process affecting health care": http://www.social.coe.int/en/qoflife/recomm/R(00)5.htm .
(You may change the text according to your needs).

Warning: I do not accept any liability that the information on these pages is correct, accurate or up to date!

Please feel free to link this site!

PS: Thanks to all, who gave me this information. Please do not hesitate to mail me if you have one of the "missing links".

Visitor No. since 4. August 2001

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