For a high-quality, efficient and sustainable health system

UEL POSITIONS AND OPINIONS

Health, well-being at work, social protection and intergenerational solidarity are all elements that contribute to the economic attractiveness of a country and condition social peace. This implies that our social security systems should function optimally with clear governance, digitalisation by default, simplification and search for synergies, objectives and key performance indicators based on the principle of what is useful and necessary. Furthermore, all stakeholders should be aware of their responsibility in order to ensure sustainability in the long term and avoid any increase in the rates of contributions payable by employees and employers. 

The Luxembourg health system guarantees equal and universal access to health care by ensuring freedom of choice for the patient and therapeutic freedom for the provider. However, this generous health system is faced with certain structural, organisational and financial challenges. 

In this context, UEL welcomes the launch of the Gesondheetsdësch on 14 February 2020 by the Ministries of Health and Social Security, whose objective is to work “towards a shared vision of the health system of tomorrow”. The aim is to define measures to improve the efficiency of the health system, taking into account the needs of the population, the evolution of medical techniques and the resources available to the country. 

UEL, one of the actors consulted within the context of the Gesondheetsdësch, shares this goal and had already formulated in 2010 a certain number of ideas in its publication “Soigner mieux en dépensant moins” which for the most part are still relevant today: improving care through, in particular, a reinforcement of hospital planning, a shift towards outpatient surgery, more transparency of the acts performed, a simplification of administrative procedures or the centralization of certain activities. 

Through its presence in social security institutions, UEL is committed to a quality, fair, accessible and efficient health system, all of which are essential elements of a sustainable and attractive health system to which Luxembourg subscribes. All these elements must be taken into account in any future health strategy.