The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) congratulates the European Commission for releasing the communication and the proposal for a Council recommendation on patient safety.

Patient safety is one of the EU's most pressing health care challenges.
ESICM supports the free movement of patients and health professionals within the EU and is of the opinion that high quality of care and free movement of patients and professionals are intertwined topics that should all be addressed within a Community framework.

Patients must have the right to receive safe and high-quality care all over the Union, and to have the fullest information in order to make informed choices.

ESICM especially supports the European Commission’s initiative to reinforce cooperation between Member States and to encouragethe sharing of best practice and expertise in the field.

The safety of critically ill patients is of the utmost importance to ESICM and remains a daily battle for Intensivists. In 2009, the ESICM will put its considerable resource and energies towards improving the safety of patients who are critically ill and also their ultimate outcome. There will be a major international congress in Vienna themed on this issue and also a significant book written by all major experts in this areafocusing on this subject.

Rui Moreno, the ESICM President comments, "Health systems have a duty to protect patients from harm . Adverse events in health care are a serious public health threat that we are keen to reduce across Europe in ICUs. Better quality of health care is central as quality is a fundamental right, and there is no quality without safety. Patient safety benefits us all. ESICM next congress in October 2009 will be totally focused on this fundamental issue"

More funding and increased collaboration for research into patient safety in hospitals is urgently needed to improve health care quality in Europe.

ESICM is committed to play its part in the challenges ahead and to support the EU Institutions in their effort to enhance quality and safety of care for patients across Europe.
The ESICM is non-profit making international association of individuals. 
Its objective is the advancement and promotion of knowledge in intensive care medicine, in particular the promotion of the highest standards of multidisciplinary care and safety of critically ill patients and their families through education, research, and professional development.

For more information, contact:
Nelly Le Dévic
ESICM Executive Officer
Tel.: +32 2 559 03 50
Fax: +32 2 527 00 62
e-mail: nelly.ledevic @esicm.org
For more information about ESICM, consult our website: http://www.esicm.org/