Strong primary care produces better health outcomes against lower costs. By promoting primary care, the population’s health can be improved.

Strong primary care does not happen spontaneously. It requires appropriate conditions at the health care system level and in actual practice to make Primary Care providers able and willing to take responsibility for the health of the population under their care. Everywhere in Europe the process of strengthening Primary Care is ongoing. There is a strong need to collect and share information about what structures and strategies matter.

What will the Forum do?
The activities and services of the Forum reflect its different goals and levels of involvement. Primarily, it offers opportunities for exchange. Practically speaking, to its members it offers an opportunity to provide and receive information on good and bad practices in primary care through its website and through workshops and seminars.

The Forum also provides news and documents on policy developments at national and international level. This emphasis on integrating policy and practice is a main characteristic of the way the Forum operates.

The Forum seeks to communicate its values and vision on health and health care to policymakers at national and international (EU) levels, wherever this may be opportune.
The Forum assists in formulating the research agenda and to conduct research.

The Forum aims at linking with existing networks in Primary Care like Euract and Wonca, so that they complement each other, rather than duplicate each other’s work.

Who created the Forum?
The European Forum for Primary Care was initiated in early 2005 by a group of interested parties from Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands. It quickly expanded to include representatives from France, Estonia, Italy and Denmark, among which are practitioners and management, policymakers and researchers. The Forum seeks to expand its membership and thereby to become a leading force for Primary Care in Europe.

The Initiative Group of the Forum consists of:

• European Public Health Association, Mrs Diana Delnoij,
  
• Ghent University, Dep. of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Belgium, Mr Prof Jan de Maeseneer
  
• Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Mr Prof Peter Groenewegen
  
• Netherlands Institute for Care and Welfare, International Centre (NIZW IC), Mr Pim de Graaf
  
• NHS Alliance, United Kingdom, Mr Michael Sobanja, Mr Robert Sloane
  
• Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Mr Prof Koos van de Velden
  
• Centro Studi e Ricerche in Medicina, Dueville, Italy, Mr Prof Giorgio Visentin
  
• Danish Association of Nurses, Denmark, Mrs Bodil Ludwigsen
  
• University of Tartu, Dep. of Polyclinical and Family Medicine, Estonia, Mr Margus Lember
  
• University of Caen, France, Mrs Prof. Marianne Samuelson

If you would like to find out more about the European Forum for Primary Care visit the website: www.euprimarycare.org. One may register as member of the Forum on the website.