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European Union of Private Hospitals

Press release: UEHP – FHP Conference “Europe and Health, the challenge of attractiveness”

Paris 25 March 2022« Europe and health, the challenge of attractiveness »: this was the theme of a conference organised on March 16 by the French Federation of Private Hospitals (FHP) and the European Union of Private Hospitals (UEHP). This event, held under the banner of the French Presidency of the European Union (FPEU), brought together numerous health stakeholders, elected representatives, and experts, who shared their expertise and convictions on three key topics: Career attractiveness in the healthcare sector, the attractiveness of health care establishments, and the attractiveness of the Europe of health.

The French Minister for Health welcomed the initiative and the choice of the subject, which is perfectly in line with the priorities of the PFUE. For Olivier Véran, health requires “enhanced cooperation between Member States” and “a genuine inter-sectoral approach” to improve the health of the citizens of the European Union. It is also a question of tackling together the digital, climate and demographic challenges to increase the Union’s growth and thus guarantee the preservation of our solidarity model.

The first topic highlighted the importance of training health professionals, in a context of shortage of these professionals, particularly paramedics, a problem that is widely felt across the different European countries. Paul de Raeve, Secretary General of the European Federation of Nurses (EFN), Hans Martens, expert in European policies, and Jean-Yves Blay, President of the Unicancer Federation, presented their visions, which often converged, to reinforce career attractiveness in the healthcare sector but also to better anticipate the professions and profiles of tomorrow.

Attractiveness also of the health establishments that employ these professionals. Three speakers described key aspects of this attractiveness: through a renewed and rethought management for Paolo Silvano, senior advisor at ELSAN; through a determined commitment to social, societal, and environmental responsibility for Olivier Toma, founder of the Primum Non Nocere agency. Cécile Lambert, Deputy Director General for Healthcare Services, Ministry of Health, presented the “European Hospital” label project, open to all, showing the importance of developing a Europe of Health based on better quality of care for all.

The third roundtable brought together Véronique Trillet-Lenoir MEP, Gabriele Pelissero, Professor of Public Health, Katharina Nebel, President of the German Federation of Private Hospitals, and Marc Bourquin, Strategic Adviser to the French Hospital Federation (FHF), to discuss a major question: how health can make people want to be part of Europe, through closer cooperation between European countries and between health actors on major public health issues. Just as Europe was able to respond to the health crisis through the pooled purchase of vaccines, issues such as cancer, rare diseases, mental health, prevention, and health sovereignty can give rise to a genuine European dynamic.

Stanislas Niox-Château, CEO of Doctolib, called for the Europe of health to become an operational reality, in order to be collectively stronger. In conclusion, Françoise Grossetête, former Member of the European Parliament and advisor to the Robert Schuman Foundation, emphasised the extent to which health had become essential in the European project, between industrial and digital sovereignty, public-private partnerships to accelerate innovation, and major health challenges. She called for a great ambition to make the Europe of health a reality and closer to both caregivers and patients.

For Lamine Gharbi, President of the FHP, “In these troubled times, European and healthcare values must be promoted more than ever. I am pleased that we have been able to contribute, alongside the UEHP, to the French Presidency of the European Union, and thus to bring out concrete paths to build all together – elected representatives, patients, administrations, public and private actors… – the Europe of Health

Recent events have reinforced our commitment to a more united and concrete Europe of health. Our common ambition is quality of care and innovation, within a social Europe which remains, in its diversity, a socioeconomic model of international reference. To achieve this goal, it is in our interest to share our experiences and resources, and to develop common solutions, when necessary,” concluded Paul Garassus, President of the UEHP.

Please find the full Replay of our webinar available via our YouTube platform:

You will also find the Replays of our 3 roundtables:

  1. Career attractiveness in the healthcare sector: « Europe´s health workforce of tomorrow »
  2. Clinic and hospital attractiveness: « The best European initiatives for the best establishments»:
  3. The attractiveness of a Europe of Health: « Cooperation between health actors, public health challenges: how can Europe better respond to citizen´s expectations? » :