Social protection: health care and care for the elderly, accessibility, quality and financial viability

The Council endorsed the joint Council-Commission report on supporting national strategies for the future of health care and care for the elderly and decided to forward it to the Spring European Council. This report takes up the three broad goals endorsed by the Barcelona European Council (March 2002): access for all regardless of income or wealth; a high level of quality of care; financial sustainability of care systems. It addresses a number of common challenges and issues such as new technologies and treatments, improved well-being and patient information and demographic ageing. The report draws the main conclusions from the analysis of the Member States' responses and proposes future steps. It is recalled that the EPSCO Council also endorsed this report on 6 March.�