Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General for Health and Consumers, European Commission

When a patient is treated in a hospital, they expect to get well and receive the best care possible without being exposed to medical errors that could lead to adverse health effects or infection. However, nearly half of EU citizens feel they could be harmed while being treated: both in hospital and in primary care settings.

Ensuring the safety of anyone that comes into contact with healthcare services is one of the most pressing healthcare challenges to date, which is why in 2009 EU Member States adopted a Recommendation where they agreed on a number of actions to increase patient safety.

In the EU, about 10% of hospitalised patients suffer from a medical error: these include wrong diagnosis or wrong dose of a prescribed medication, plus 1 patient in 20 acquires a healthcare-associated infection. Much of this harm is preventable but requires efforts from policy makers, health professionals and even patients themselves.

The Commission's recently published report on the implementation of the Recommendation by the Member States concluded that:

• Member States have embedded patient safety in public health policies and have taken many actions to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections.
• Reporting and learning systems on adverse events could be developed further.
• There is still room for improvement as regards involving patients in patient safety and training health professionals.
• Actions should target not only hospitals but also non-hospital care.
• There is a need for more evidence on the costs of unsafe care.

During the informal meeting in Dublin on 4-5 March 2013, EU health ministers confirmed the interest of further work on the areas identified by the report.

Patient safety knowledge is continually evolving and, with much work to improve it already, underway healthcare organisations across EU countries are making major steps forward. By focusing further on lessons learnt and the sharing of best practises and knowledge across EU countries, the European Commission will continue to make sure patients are not exposed to unnecessary harm or potential harm associated with healthcare and to make healthcare much safer for everyone.