Community Oriented Primary Care in Europe, a Multi-Country Study Visit,
The North Sea Tour
a study visit organised by the European Forum for Primary Care.
Increasingly, primary care is delivered by a variety of professionals from different disciplines, reflecting the drive for efficient care, responding to a diversity of clients with different needs.
The core functions of primary care teams could be seen as follows: general medical, paramedical and pharmaceutical care (with links to specialist medical, paramedical and pharmaceutical care), nursing and supportive care (with links to specialist and institutional nursing), as well as related forms of prevention and health education (with links to public health). Primary care is generalist care, also encompassing non-specialist mental and social healthcare.
Although the composition of primary care teams should be geared to local circumstances and needs, the client should have access to the following: general practitioner, nurse/nurse practitioner, physiotherapist, community pharmacist, midwife and dentist. In addition, it should be possible to call in a community psychiatric nurse, psychologist or social worker.
The European Forum for Primary Care offers a study visit to Belgium, the Netherlands and United Kingdom. In the course of five days, health centres in each of the several countries will be visited and managers and professionals will be available for questions and debate. In Ghent the participants will be hosted by the Chairman of the Forum, Prof Dr Jan de Maeseneer and in the Netherlands by the coordinator of the Forum, Mr Diederik Aarendonk. The following questions are central to the visit:
· Primary Care teams: how far have they been developed and how do they function in practice; how can benefits be described and assessed?
· What have been the developments in terms of new professions and distribution or delegation of responsibilities?
· What obstacles in terms of legislation and regulations had to be overcome?
· How will the EU support member states to further develop Community Oriented Primary Care?
· How will the European Forum for Primary Care support its members and advocate for policies in Europe that are supportive to Primary Care.
The programme:
from 18/5/2009 (arrival in Brussels) to 23/5/2009 (departure from Brussels)
A programme can accommodate 10 persons maximum.
Costs per person are € 2800. This includes 5 nights in a *** hotel, lunches, diners & transport (train/bus)
Costs do not include plane tickets to and from Brussels.
Preliminary itinerary:
Monday 18/5:; Arrival in Brussels; accommodation in Ghent
Tuesday: Visit to health centre (e.g.:De Botermarkt), Diner with the Chairman of the Forum and afternoon visit to the Ghent Medical university.; accommodation in Ghent
Wednesday: Morning: transfer to Utrecht; introduction to the Dutch Primary Care system at the NIVEL institute and introduction to the European Forum for Primary Care by the coordinator Mr Diederik Aarendonk; Diner and accommodation in Utrecht;
Thursday: morning visit to health centre (e.g.: Almere); afternoon departure by Eurostar to London via Brussels. Accommodation in London
Friday: morning visit to Health Centre (e.g.: Bromley-by-Bow Health Living Centre in East London) and afternoon visit to NHS Alliance. Accommodation in London
Saturday 23/5: Morning transfer back to Brussels, Return to home country from Brussels