WHO is committed to supporting countries in their efforts to improve the quality of their health-care systems. Quality of care is essential for building safe, effective and resilient health systems.

WHO, through its Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety, with the support of the Greek government, and in collaboration with national stakeholders, oversees the implementation of the “Development of a National Strategy on Quality of Care, Patient Safety, and Patient Engagement in Greece” (abbreviated as HQC-2-Greece). The 18-month project funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument aims to establish a clear evidence-based framework, ensuring that principles of quality of care and patient safety, along with patient engagement, hold a central position in the Greek health-care landscape. It promotes the adoption of a culture focused on quality improvement and safety.

Key components of the project include:

• implementation of a National Strategy and Action Plan for Quality of Care, Patient Safety and Patient Engagement;
• establishment of mechanisms to strengthen quality of care, patient safety and patient engagement, specifically through (1) guidelines and protocols, (2) indicators and measurements, and (3) an adverse events reporting system;
• creation of a reporting system for measuring patients’ experiences and outcomes, along with a mechanism for implementing integrated health literacy;
• consolidation of health-care workers’ training on quality of care and patient safety.

The goal of the project is to propose reforms covering areas from governance and organizational structure to policy improvements, in order to establish a high-quality health-care system, with a view towards achieving universal health coverage. This initiative is a pivotal step in addressing the pressing health-care challenges in Greece and progressing towards a more equitable, efficient and patient-focused health-care system.