 |
Stone Liberal Democrats |
Chiropractors deserve more support from Europe's health ministers - Liz Lynne
June 30, 2010 2:58 PM
Originally published by Liz Lynne
Originally published by Liz Lynne
Liz Lynne has taken a close interest in promoting best practice in health care systems. Pic: Meeting campaigners from Health First Europe
West Midlands Euro MP Liz Lynne is backing a cross party call for Europe's health services to recognise the huge benefits of chiropractic and extend access to the specialism to patients in all EU countries.
The Lib Dem MEP, First Vice President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, has signed a Parliamentary Declaration expressing 'serious concern' at the lack of uniform recognition of chiropractic and access to specialist chiropractors across the European Union.
Speaking at the European Parliament in Brussels today, Liz Lynne said: "Chiropractic has been proven as an effective way to treat a large number of conditions through muscular and skeletal manipulation.
"More and more people who have tried it have found that it works when other more procedures do not. It does not use drugs and is extremely cost effective.
"Yet despite this success, the provision of chiropractic across the NHS and across most other European health care systems varies wildly.
"This is despite the care taken by chiropractors to organise the profession properly with the European Council of Chiropractic Education maintaining common educational standards. As the Declaration notes, they are a good example to other developing health professions such as acupuncture, homeopathy and osteopathy, all of which are widely available on the NHS.
"Given the current need for value for money in all public budgets, it is crazy not to take proper advantage of chiropractic to treat a wider range of patients.
"MEPs from different parties all over Europe are backing this call for European Health Ministers to work together so this profession can be used to its full potential."
If the Declaration is signed by a majority of MEPs, it will be forwarded to the European Commission and Council of Ministers for further action.
ENDS
Note: Text of Written declaration on chiropractic 0046/2010
The European Parliament,
- having regard to Rule 123 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas chiropractic is recognised by the World Health Organisation as an independent health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on the functions of the nervous system and general health, with an emphasis on manual treatments, including spinal adjustment and other joint and soft-tissue manipulation,
B. whereas chiropractic involves independent, university-based education in Europe , similar to dentistry, and therefore cannot be an added specialty of any other healthcare profession,
C. whereas chiropractic has been organised into a European Chiropractors' Union since 1932 and, at world level, into a World Federation of Chiropractic since 1988,
D. whereas chiropractic education is harmonised throughout the European Union under the umbrella of the European Council on Chiropractic Education, which is a member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA),
1. Expresses serious concern that chiropractic is not yet uniformly recognised throughout the European Union, especially since the profession provides a good example of organisation and development of standards for other developing health professions in Europe, such as acupuncture, homeopathy and osteopathy;
2. Calls for the uniform recognition of chiropractic throughout the European Union to ensure that patients are provided with similar choices of care and treatment;
3. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the Commission, the Council and the parliaments of the Member States.
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats
-
Help out or donate
-
Tell us what you think