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PATIENT AND CONSUMER ORGANIZATIONS WELCOME OUTCOMES OF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FIRST PATIENTS FOR PATIENT SAFETY WORKSHOP

London, United Kingdom, 8 February 2006 - Today, patient and consumer organizations joined together to welcome the publication of the London Declaration from Patients for Patient Safety following the World Health Organization's (WHO) first Patients for Patient Safety workshop last year. The International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO) and Consumers Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS) commended the WHO on incorporating the patients' voice in a meaningful way into the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety and congratulated Patients for Patient Safety on its achievements to date. Patients for Patient Safety is one of six action areas of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety.

"Patients must be at the centre of our quest to improve patient safety" said Sir Liam Donaldson, Chair of the World Alliance for Patient Safety. "When things go wrong, they and their families suffer from any harm caused. Patients for Patient Safety is designed to ensure that patients and their families are a central part of international efforts to improve patient safety through this WHO Alliance".

The groundbreaking Patients for Patient Safety workshop was held in London, 27-30 November 2005 running in parallel to the EU Summit on Patient Safety, organized by the UK Government in its role of Presidency of the EU during 2005. Following a competitive application process, 24 patient and consumer advocates - patient safety champions - were selected together representing 21 countries across developed, transitional and developing countries, providing a truly global voice.

The key outcome of the workshop was the publication of the London Declaration through which the patient safety champions expressed their vision for safer health care systems worldwide and highlighted concrete areas where patients and consumers - and the organizations that represent them - can work in partnership with health providers to make a significant contribution to the improvement of patient safety.

"We learned from the 24 thoughtful patient safety champions that challenges in delivering safe, compassionate health care cut across all geographic, ethnic and socio-economic boundaries", said Susan E. Sheridan, MIM, MBA, CAPS Co-Founder and President and Lead of Patients for Patient Safety. "The London Declaration will be the soul of the work of the World Alliance".

IAPO and CAPS congratulated the workshop participants for their incredible focus and skill in defining and developing the role of patients and consumers in the WHO's World Alliance for Patient Safety. In addition to the concrete outcomes, the workshop was also an important signal of highlighted the importance of the patient voice in health policy-making.

IAPO and CAPS have announced their support for the London Declaration with its commitment to harness the expertise, knowledge and motivation of consumers and patients to work through partnerships to improve patient safety for all patients. IAPO Chair, Albert van der Zeijden, commented, "This Declaration demonstrates the strong commitment of consumers and patients, and the organizations that represent them, to contribute their knowledge and expertise to improve patient safety in a structured and effective way".

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Note to Editors:
1. CAPS is a consumer-led non-profit organization formed to be a collective voice for individuals, families and healers who wish to prevent harm in healthcare encounters through partnership and collaboration. CAPS envisions a partnership between consumers and providers to create global healthcare systems that are safe, compassionate and just. Susan E. Sheridan, MIM, MBA, CAPS Co-founder and President, also leads Patients for Patient Safety, the consumer action area of the WHO World Alliance.
2. IAPO is the only global alliance representing patients of all nationalities across all disease areas and promoting patient-centred healthcare worldwide. Our members are patients' organizations working at the local, national, regional and international levels to represent and support patients, their families and carers. A patient is a person with any chronic disease, illness, syndrome, impairment or disability. IAPO was founded in 1999 by forty patients' organizations from around the world.
3. Patients for Patient Safety is one of the six action areas of the World Alliance for Patient Safety and is designed to ensure that the perspective of patients and families, consumers and citizens - whichever term resonates best - in both developed and developing countries is a central reference point in shaping the important work of the Alliance.
4. The patient champions selected were from 21 countries: Argentina; Australia; Canada; China; Egypt; Fiji; Germany; India; Italy; Mexico; The Netherlands; Nigeria; Pakistan; Poland; Sudan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Kingdom; United States of America; Yemen and Zambia.
5. The London Declaration is available online here.
6. For a full copy of this press release, please click here.

For further information, please contact:

Mr Mitchell Dvorak
Executive Director
Consumers Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS)
Tel: (312) 274-1301
Fax: (312) 274-9696
Email: mdvorak@patientsafety.org
Website: www.patientsafety.org

Ms Jo Harkness
Policy & External Affairs Director
International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO)
Tel: +44 20 7721 7597
Fax: +44 20 7721 7596
Email: policy@patientsorganizations.org
Website: www.patientsorganizations.org .