The thing is the EU has relatively little competency in health matters - beyond the European Medicines agency and a role as a research/coordination centre on health and food safety matters.

Basically European health care systems and policies are within the purview of national governments which pursue quite variable policies. I have long argued that this should change as bugs don't do borders and as some services - such as drug procurement- could benefit from the economies of scale and bargaining heft the EU could  bring to the table.

If the Cov-19 crisis does anything positive, it could be to provide the impetus for a common European Health Policy where more aspects of healthcare are managed at an EU level. With the UK gone, there should be less opposition to this.

Index of Frank's Diaries