Healthcare

• Introduction
• The development of cooperation in healthcare
• The evolving legal framework
• The organisation of cooperation
• The major issues in public health
• Prominent examples of cooperation

The development of cooperation in healthcare

Historically, countries have always been attentive to health issues in border areas, notably in order to stem the spread of epidemics there.

More recently, the need for healthcare professionals to develop responses to emergencies (catastrophes, etc.) and the scale of cross-border flows have led players on either side of national borders to work together. Moreover, an increased awareness of the proximity of healthcare structures, the existence of innovative equipment and the perception of there being a higher quality or greater speed of treatment on the other side of the border have also fostered the development of healthcare cooperation.

Little by little, healthcare professionals and institutions have mobilised. They have established networked organisations on borders in order to work together. Sharing of good practices, joint training, prevention work and organisation of patient flows have all contributed to improving the medical environment for patients on either side of the border and sometimes to reducing inequalities between the territories.

However, collaboration between healthcare players in cross-border areas soon encountered obstacles related to the fact that healthcare systems have developed in relative isolation (with some Community exceptions such as mutual recognition of qualifications). It thus became apparent that instruments for cross-border cooperation were necessary.