BACKGROUND

Our vision on primary care

The majority of health complaints of the people are dealt with through self-care and primary care, delivered in the local community. Addressing the needs of individuals in the context of their families and communities is one of the key features of primary care. In-home care for the ageing population in intercultural care in underserved areas, primary care contributes to the development of social coherence. Therefore, family physicians operate in the framework of the local primary health care team, utilising a multidisciplinary approach. Patient-centred responsiveness, with special attention to the most vulnerable groups in society, is another key feature of primary care. It requires unrestricted access of patients to primary care services. A third key feature is the navigation function: related to the undifferentiated scala of complaints that are presented at the primary care level and to the fact that specialist care offers fragmented services, the primary care practitioners help patients to navigate through the health care system. In a number of European countries, the gatekeeping role of general practitioners makes them responsible for adequate referral and guidance of patients, under the right and safe conditions.
There is ample evidence to support the claim that Primary Care offers better care and health outcomes for lower costs.

In a changing environment

Ageing of our European societies, a concern on rising costs and quality of health care and a strong wish to guarantee access to health care, are increasingly common issues in virtually all European countries.
Most countries in Central and Eastern Europe are in the process of profoundly reshaping their health system. While many Primary Care initiatives blossom at local level, mainstream health care and health policy often are not oriented towards supporting and developing Primary Care. This presents a formidable challenge for those who are involved in practice and in policy.
Increasingly, policies in the European Union impact on health and health services. Through guidelines and ordinances, but also through the Open Method of Coordination and the allocation of subsidies, opportunities are created to develop international exchange and to improve health systems through a shared vision. On the other hand, it creates the challenge to balance the market and competition oriented approach with the collaborative character of a community-oriented primary care.

What are the aspirations of the European Forum for Primary Care?

The basic aim of the Forum is to improve the European population’s health by promoting strong Primary Care. This is done by monitoring the state of Primary Care in the European countries, by collecting information on conditions that matter for strong Primary Care, and by exchanging experiences. The Forum supports PHC services at local or regional level, influences (health) policies at national and international level (EU, WHO) and supports research.
The Forum connects three groups of interested parties: the health care field, health policy makers, and the producers and evaluators of health care information. These interested parties work at three levels: the local or district level, the national level, and the supra-national level.
By linking policy practice and research the Forum intends to stimulate policy making based on vision and evidence as much as it intends to support PC practice oriented towards quality and equity.

Multilevel forum on European primary care development

In addition, the Forum is multiprofessional. Although Family Medicine may be regarded as the core of PC, the participation of other disciplines and professions in PC is indispensable.
It goes without saying that the patient-, or rather, citizen-perspective is underlying the aims and activities of the Forum. Involvement of citizens and patients and their organisations in the Forum is a natural thing to do, since working in Primary Care, be it through service delivery or through research, is about putting the patient in the centre.
The Forum has a message to spread and helps to learn lessons. In this it has strong ambitions and it intends to be well heard and listened to. It is independent from any established interests and will develop, over time, policies to safeguard its independence.