Health First Europe And MEP Needle Commission Over Sharps Injuries

1.04.21pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Dec 2004

Health First Europe, an alliance representing European patients, healthcare workers, academics, experts and industry today held an event in the European Parliament in Brussels to highlight the growing problem of needlestick injuries.

They met Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne who has been campaigning for better protection for health workers from these injuries known more commonly as sharps injuries.

It is estimated that 1 million such injuries occur in Europe each year, many of which are avoidable. A needlestick injury occurs when a healthcare worker, or ancillary or support staff worker are accidentally pricked with a used needle.

When this injury occurs there is a risk of the worker acquiring a bloodborne infection, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

Following today's event Liz Lynne MEP who is the ALDE spokesperson on health and safety issues in the European Parliament said:

"It is not acceptable that health workers are put in danger when it could easily be prevented. The number of people with Hepatitis C is growing rapidly and many are unaware they are infected.

"There are three European safety directives that are applicable to this issue, one of which deals specifically with biological agents. However, these have not proved effective in protecting healthcare workers from potentially serious injuries.

"Further measures are necessary to ensure that this existing legislation is implemented properly by the Member States in the healthcare sector, in particular to protect workers from needlestick injuries.

"When I raised the subject in September while questioning the new Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Vladimir Spidla he said that he did not know much about the problem but would look in to it. I will continue to push him on this issue until our health workers are better protected."

ENDS

Notes To Editors

89/391/EEC (safety and health of workers), 89/655/EEC (work equipment), 2000/54/EEC (biological agents) are the EU Council Directives that cover medical sharps injuries.