The THCS General Assembly took place on 19-20 February 2025 at the Centro Congressi Federico II in Naples. The meeting brought together THCS partners to discuss the Partnership's progress towards its objectives and the work carried out by its Work Packages (WPs). Furthermore, additional topics beyond day-to-day management were explored, making the General Assembly an opportunity for mutual learning and the creation of new synergies.
The meeting was opened by representatives from the Basque Country, which holds the rotating presidency of the General Assembly. Dr. Iñaki Gutiérrez Ibarluzea (Department of Health of the Basque Government) set the tone by emphasizing the importance of outcome-based contracts and public-private partnerships to foster innovation and cost-effective healthcare. He also stressed the need for improved working conditions to retain healthcare professionals and called for greater citizen engagement in prevention and self-care.
Following that, a session was held to provide partners with updates on the activities of each Work Package:
- WP1 and WP2 focused on governance and coordination, presenting new Advisory Board candidates and updates on payments.
- WP3 shared plans for the main events scheduled for 2025.
- WP4 discussed its survey on Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) needs and capacity building.
- WP5 highlighted the development of its policymaker toolkit and upcoming workshops in Bucharest and Paris.
- WP6 presented the current status of the JTC 2026 definition process.
- WP7 discussed the JTC 2025 evaluation process and the deployment of the new submission tool.
- WP8 showcased progress on a new monitoring tool and an impact assessment framework.
- WP9 emphasized cross-functional collaboration and ecosystem initiatives achieved in the past months.
- WP10 reported on the ongoing development of the Knowledge Hub and plans for increased user engagement and sustainability.
Following these updates, the General Assembly held a session on Low-Value Care (LVC), bringing together experts from the European Commission, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and EUREGHA to discuss strategies for identifying, measuring, and reducing LVC in European healthcare. Moderated by Chiara de Waure (UCSC), the discussion centered on value-based healthcare, sustainability, and innovation to improve efficiency and equity.
Subsequently, EUHA (European University Hospital Alliance) presented its position paper advocating for reduced hospital dependency and the development of an integrated continuum of care spanning from primary to community levels. This approach was strongly supported by the Advisory Board, aligning with THCS's long-term goals of systemic health reform.
On the second day, participants engaged in parallel sessions covering topics such as evidence in policymaking, capacity building, key performance indicators (KPIs), and synergies.
Following these discussions, the session on the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) introduced updates and revisions, with new priorities focusing on governance, financing, and integrated service delivery.
The General Assembly concluded with discussions on future steps, including the establishment of working groups to refine key thematic priorities and the development of a multi-year roadmap for THCS. The focus remains on creating a more resilient, efficient, and inclusive healthcare system through collaboration and innovation.