Cross-border healthcare: problems concerning the “medical error”

Abstract

The Directive on cross-border healthcare reflects the concern of the EU with the human right to health, in terms of universality, equity, access and quality. Through this Directive, Member States cannot prohibit free access for non-nationals to their health systems. All Member States of the EU are, therefore, mandated to provide the same standard of healthcare to nonnationals as they do to its nationals. The question raised in this paper is related to the “medical error” with disregard for the leges artis ad hoc medicinae or the violation of EU principles contained in the Directive and treated in the course of the practice of cross-border healthcare. In other words, what legal regime is applicable and what are the legal mechanisms that the injured patient may operate with a view to compensation for damages? Legislation on medical liability of the “Member-State of treatment” and simultaneously the European dispute mechanisms shall apply or, alternatively, only the latter because we are in EU cross-border care legal character?