The European Health Consumer Index, started in 2005, is a comparison for assessing the performance of national healthcare systems in 35 countries. The EHCI analyses national healthcare on 48 indicators, looking into areas such as Patient Rights and Information, Access to Care, Treatment Outcomes, Range and Reach of Services, Prevention and use of Pharmaceuticals. The new Index ranks the countries (minimum score is 333, the maximum 1000):

The Czech Republic has always been the star performer among CEE countries, and in 2016 remains at #13 (780 points), only 6 points behind Sweden and leading the group of CEE countries, squeezing ahead of the United Kingdom. Good for accessibility to healthcare services!

Since the EHCI started, Estonia and the Czech Republic has offered good value for money and lately Finland and Portugal have joined this group. These countries have a story to tell how to deliver affordable care. Such success is free to copy!

The Czech Republic seems to have a degree of fundamental stability and freedom from corruption in its healthcare system, which is relatively rare in CEE states, the report says. Details in Czech.

Meanwhile, Jakub Hudec, Public Affairs Consultant and healthcare expert at Grayling Czech Republic gives an insight into current issues of the Czech healthcare sector:

"It is almost a tradition for health care to be a key topic of every parliamentary election campaign in the Czech Republic, and the forthcoming election in autumn 2017 is no exception. Securing sufficient funding for the sector will undoubtedly be one of the new government’s top priorities. Advancements in medical science and the ageing population will intensify the need for increased healthcare expenditure. Therefore, ensuring the stability of the system is closely tied to effective public procurement.

Although it might seem that the transparency and effectiveness of public procurement are among Czech legislators’ main priorities, sometimes their intentions and actions are no help in increasing the system’s effectiveness or in saving on public spending at all...

...My advice to the new Minister of Health would be to lend an ear to stakeholders and the pharmaceutical industry and to make sure that the proposed legislation is fully understood by legislators. Addressing procurement issues would make the tendering process and the healthcare system more cost-effective, which will benefit patients – giving them access to innovative medical devices and drugs. What we need is a truly patient-oriented healthcare system", he writes. Read full article here.