Quality of care and patient safety in the EU

In the EU, systematic and ongoing efforts are being made to ensure that quality and safety standards of healthcare are improved in the Member States, taking into account advances in medicine, best medical practices and new health technologies.

EU and EEA member states shall ensure that patients from other member states receive, upon request, information concerning the safety and quality standards in force in their territory, as well as the specific healthcare providers to whom those standards apply, in order to help patients, make an informed choice when seeking cross-border healthcare.

The healthcare provider should provide information on treatment options as well as all of its own functions and operations.

In particular, the healthcare provider must provide clear and complete information, upon request, on:

• the different treatment options,

• the quality standards of patient care and safety in the facility in question,

• the licenses and their registration status,

• their insurance coverage or other means of individual or collective protection as regards their professional liability; and

• detailed invoices and clear pricing information.

You may find more information on the quality and safety standards applied by healthcare providers in the EU/EEA member states at the websites of the national contact points for cross-border healthcare of the member states.

Last Update: 14 May 2021
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