CNE Health Conference on Healthy Ageing
Brussels, Belgium

07 October 2004
BRUSSELS - CNE's Healthy Ageing conference in Brussels on Thursday 8th October saw a crowd of over 70 key Brussels opinion formers address one of the most important issues in health care: how an ageing population will impact on the structures of EU health care systems.

The conference began with a talk by Bob Perkins of Consensus Research Group, in which he outlined the findings of an extensive polling exercise across EU Member States. Starting with the issues posed by demographic change, Mr Perkins examined how patients, practitioners, administrators and politicians consider this key area, and looked at the public policy implications.

The conference then looked at specific issues raised by these developments. Alberto Mingardi, Anthony Browne and Stephen Pollard spoke on country-by-country feelings - what voters think about change, what they want from their systems, and what methods are best suited to the changing economic, consumer and demographic climate.

Christofer Fjellner, a newly elected Swedish MEP, put the issues into the broader context of health spending as a sign of prosperity, technological change and individual control, followed by Ben Irvine's survey of system reforms across the EU.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, a newly elected German MEP, Johan Hjertqvist and Csaba Ivan concluded the conference with a look at the economic and political demands of the twentyfirst century patient. CNE will be publishing a full transcript of the conference as soon as possible. Click here to request a transcript of this event.