The EU debate... Are we healthier in or out?
Today the “Healthier in the EU” website launched. The campaign's message is that the EU allows the UK to pool resources with our closest neighbours to tackle important issues from public health (air pollution, tobacco, chemicals) to health innovation (medicines approvals, research networks) to large frameworks of healthcare (cross-border healthcare, international patients’ groups).
John Bowis, former MP, UK Health Minister and MEP says:
“Our EU membership has brought many health benefits, not least the right to go abroad for treatment and have the bill paid by the UK, which is the essence of the Cross-Border Health directive, which I piloted through the European Parliament.”
Trisha Greenhalgh, OBE FMedSci. Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, says:
“I am a European citizen, a European doctor and a European scientist. To withdraw from the EU would diminish my identity, compromise my clinical practice and reduce my ability to produce world-leading scientific research”
Jan van der Meulen, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says:
“Britain leaving the EU will undermine its lead role in health research.”
My view..... membership of the EU is good for the UK economy and the healthcare sector. The UK's healthcare system is an international healthcare system, that attracts expertise from across Europe and from around the world. If we erect barriers to the transfer of people, expertise and knowledge, it can only be a backward step.
My prediction.... a close vote but one that will go in favour of staying in.
Impact Investing, Wellbeing, Silver Tourism, Place Branding & Ageing expert - Development expert at WB, EIB, EU donors' community
8 年Excellent article Keith Pollard! Just excellent, with reference to scientists on what really the issue of Brexit and healthcare in EU is: barriers in science and clinical progress for the people. Right in the moment where we also the Europeans of the IMTJ community, need to start thinking differently: cross border healthcare is a concept we have to promote in order to move the agenda of medical travel in EU. As someone said from the Academy of Sciences and Arts in a CoR hearing of the CBHD last week in Brussels: medical tourism is not cross border healthcare. Mr John Bowis - a dear friend by now - is totally right. He sent the same message in the Committee of Regions hearing as well, on the cross border healthcare. I think we have a lot of work to do in the coming months on these matters.