WELLNESS FOR PEACE: EUROPE: Improving health system performance has been on the political agenda in all member states over the past couple of years

Well-performing health systems make Europe 'politically stable'. This is crucial, because health systems are at the heart of the EU's social model, the Commission says. At the European Health Forum Gastein on Thursday (2 October) Martin Seychell, deputy director general at the Commission's DG Sanco, stated that efficiency is important for the European health systems these days, as healthcare expenditure has been growing steadily in most countries. The drivers behind the expenditure have also increased, and therefore it's appropriate to strive for higher efficiency levels. "Efficiency is an economic concept, but in the health arena we should also talk more about performance. Performance goes beyond the pure concept of the economic efficiency. A good healthcare system must also address a number of other dimensions," he said. Seychell pointed out that a healthcare system is not an end in itself. It's a tool and an instrument to pursue a political, public policy goal. Whatever decisionmakers decide to do with the health systems, the systems must be effective in improving the health status of our population. "A good health system also includes good equity. If we don't, as policymakers, respond to patients' expectations, the response will be negative. People will not feel satisfied and it will lead to a political issue," the Commission representative stressed. Health systems play a vital role in societies, Seychell noted. They are part of social protection, as they guard citizens against unexpected shocks, which also have a beneficial effect on the economy and social security.