Organization of health care services

On August 19, 2024, the Agenda for the meeting of the Board of Danish Regions was published. One of the themes to be discussed during the meeting was the Danish Regions consultation response regarding the Health Structure Commission's report. The meeting was held on August 22, 2024.

On June 19, 2024, the Order SND/606/2024, of June 13, came into force. This Order, among other things, creates the Advisory Committee for the Common Package of Benefits in the Area of Genetics.

On June 7, 2024, the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) informed that the federal government, states, and sickness funds have agreed on concrete actions to implement healthcare reform. The reform will focus on various aspects, such as establishment of special outpatient clinics, the expansion of primary care, and improvement of the situation of digital healthcare.

Women's health hubs comprise the new model of care outlined by the Department of Health and Social Care in the Women's Health Strategy (2022). The hub model aims to improve access to and experiences of care, improve health outcomes for women, and reduce health inequalities. In April 2024, NHS England published guidance to local commissioners, Integrated Care Boards (ICB). It requires that by the end of December 2024, at least one hub is operational in each ICB area and provides all core services.

In April 2024, Danish Regions announced the initiative to establish a new organization called the Health Service Quality Institute (Sundhedsvæsnets Kvalitetsinstitut). This initiative is part of the wider Region’s ambitions to develop a new model of working with quality and prioritization in the Danish healthcare system. The new institute is expected to open at the beginning of 2025.

On January 1, 2024, changes in the Norwegian central health administration announced by the government in May 2023 came into force. The Directorate of Health expanded its responsibility in digitalization, the development of health care services, and public health. The Directorate of e-Health discontinued to be an independent body and merged with the Directorate of Health.

On October 18, 2023, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) announced that its budget would increase by 3.9 billion to 25.8 billion euros (by 18%) in the coming year. 1.1 billion euros from the budget will be allocated for the health care reform, which will be implemented as part of the financial equalization.

In June 2023, the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE) published Health Services Research concerning the performance of the Belgian healthcare system. KCE regularly conducts such "check-ups" of the healthcare system in collaboration with Sciensano, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV), and the FPS Public Health. The conceptual framework and the list of performance indicators were revised and updated.

In May 2023, the government revised the national budget and proposed changes in the central health administration's roles, organization, and responsibilities to be implemented on January 1, 2024. The reorganization includes the merger of the Directorate of Health and the Directorate of e-Health.

On February 03, 2023, the first UKs medical technology (Medtech) strategy was published by the new Medtech Directorate at the Department of Health and Social Care. The strategy sets the government's ambition to accelerate access to innovative medical technologies, outlines the vision for Medtech, and defines priority areas for action.

The Belgian healthcare system is gradually moving from a disease-management approach to a more person-centered integrated care approach. On December 19, 2022, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) announced the extension of funding for integrated care pilot projects for the next two years. These projects are carried out in the context of a new inter-federal plan for integrated care.

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) have been changing the organizational landscape of the healthcare system for several years by developing new geographically-based partnerships called Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), bringing together providers and commissioners of NHS services with local authorities and other local partners to plan, coordinate and commission health and care services. On July 01, 2022, 42 ICSs became fully operational on a statutory basis of the 2022 Health and Care Act. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are now abolished and replaced by 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)