On 4 November, the European Parliament Intergroup on Cancer and Rare Diseases and Giorgos Georgiou MEP, Rapporteur on Parliament’s report on modernised rules for patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, will convene an expert dialogue on how Europe’s cross-border healthcare framework can better meet the needs of people living with cancer and rare diseases.

Giorgos Georgiou MEP, Vlad Voiculescu MEP, Tilly Metz MEP, Tomislav Sokol MEP and Marta Temido MEP will take part in the discussion, alongside healthcare professionals, researchers and patient representatives, to examine how Europe can build a more patient-centred and effective framework for cross-border healthcare.

The discussion will examine the barriers patients continue to face when seeking healthcare across borders, including administrative complexity, financial burdens, limited awareness of patients’ rights and delays in accessing specialised care. It will also explore how modernised EU rules and stronger implementation can improve access to timely diagnosis, multidisciplinary expertise, innovative treatments, clinical trials and research.

Particular attention will be given to rare diseases and childhood cancers, where highly specialised expertise and infrastructure cannot realistically be available in every Member State. The expert dialogue will consider how effective cross-border pathways can strengthen access to European Reference Networks, specialised clinical trials and other forms of highly specialised care, while ensuring that patients can access the expertise they need regardless of where they live.