Due to rarity of childhood cancers cross-border healthcare collaboration to improve access to standard of care treatment is essential, especially in terms of sharing expertise and accessing specialised treatment and facilities for rare and complex cases. The European Reference Network for Paediatric Cancer, established by the EU Directive on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, unites specialists across Europe to tackle complex or rare cancer conditions that require highly specialised interventions and a concentration of knowledge and resources.
While EU citizens have a right to access healthcare abroad in certain conditions, under both the Social Security Regulations and the Cross Border Healthcare Directive, barriers in access remain. SIOPE continues to advocate for:
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Improvement to cross border healthcare across Europe to help tackle inequalities in access to treatment
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Reduction of complex reimbursement and legislative procedures
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Enabling cross-border access to potentially lifesaving innovative treatments in academic-driven early clinical trials.
CATCH Europe - Childhood cancer Access to Trials and Healthcare across Europe
SIOPE is currently running a research project to outline the activity and barriers in cross border access to care and innovation for children and adolescents with cancer. CATCH Europe brings together the leading childhood cancer health professional networks for both care and clinical trials and patient and family advocates. SIOPE in collaboration with ERN PaedCan, ITCC and CCI-E will utilise the results of this project to inform ongoing advocacy towards EU policymakers.
Objective:
This project addresses the urgent need to better understand the logistical, administrative, and systemic barriers that prevent effective implementation of EU legislative framework governing cross-border healthcare, particularly in relation to childhood cancer which is characterised by integrated care and research and a key role of early clinical trials for relapsed patients.
By collecting data from healthcare professionals and academia, their networks, and patient organisations across Europe, the project will generate evidence-based insights to inform advocacy and policy recommendations aimed at improving access to standard of care treatment and clinical trials for all children with cancer in the EU, regardless of their country of origin.