Bad Hofgastein, 3 October 2018 – During the Opening Plenary session of the European Health Forum Gastein 2018, the “European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights” has been awarded the prestigious European Health Award. The project aims to empower cancer patients through the journey of disease -from prevention to early diagnosis, treatment, care, rehabilitation, patient survivorship and end of life care- and is built on an equal partnership between cancer patients, healthcare professionals and cancer researchers.

The European Health Award, sponsored by Austria’s Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, aims to support initiatives that bring innovative and sustainable solutions to pressing health challenges in Europe. The winner was selected by a panel of leading health experts, which assessed the project on the number of European countries involved, its ability to address significant health threats in Europe and the extent to which it can be transferred to other regions.

In a joint statement, Professor Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast and Professor Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds welcomed the award: “The European Health Award recognises the very best of the European collaborative approach, involving over 60 stakeholders from 25 European countries, working together for the benefit of patients. We are immensely proud that an initiative, which was initiated at Queen’s University in Northern Ireland, and where Leeds University and Queen’s have demonstrated their strong leadership, has been recognised across Europe as a quality exemplar of best practice."

Note to the editors

About European Health Forum Gastein

The European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) was founded in 1998 as a European health policy conference. It aims to provide a platform for all stakeholders from the field of health and beyond. Over the past decade, the EHFG has established itself as an indispensable institution in the scope of European health policy. It has made a decisive contribution to the development of guidelines and above all the cross-border exchange of experience, information and cooperation. Leading experts participate in the annual conference held in the Gastein Valley in the Austrian Alps for three days in October.