Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP

Focus On - Health

As a member of the Parliament's committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I have an interest in health issues. The committee is responsible for all health policy issues which come before the European Parliament.

Some of the issues which I have an interested in and are being voted through the European Parliament at the moment include patient mobility, organ transplants and pharmaceuticals packaging.

Patient mobility is essentially healthcare without borders. The European Parliament approved measures in April 2009 to give Europeans the right to seek healthcare abroad more easily and also be reimbursed for the cost of that healthcare. The aim of the draft directive on cross- boarder healthcare is to ensure that there are no obstacles to patients seeking treatment in another EU member state. For more information, please click this link;

The European Parliament recently voted in favour on rules on organ donation across the EU (19 May 2010). The new directive sets common European quality and safety standards for transplants. Under the new rules EU member states must set up a national authority which will be responsible for maintaining the safety and quality the transportation of organs. The new rules also state that all donations must by unpaid and voluntary.

For more information, please follow this link;

Pharmaceuticals package: A major package of measures presented by the Commission to deal with counterfeiting and illegal distribution of medicines, information on prescription medicines and patient protection by strengthening the EU system for the safety monitoring of medicines ("pharmacovigilance"). The EP will vote its first-reading position this term.

For more information, please click this link;