Gestor bibliográfico Crisis y Salud

During the last 4 years Greece has experienced an austerity period that has severely affected spending on healthcare services and populations health, referred to in the literature as ‘the Greek tragedy’1. Although data are limited, the first impact of this crisis has been on access to healthcare services and the use of medications2-5. Current health policy discussions are focused on the re-organisation of primary-care services and a restricted budget for medicines and emergency healthcare provision, as was outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Commission and Greece6. Within this framework and as part of a WONCA initiative to promote Family Medicine and establish a World Family Doctor Day (www.globalfamilydoctor.com), on 19 May 2012 members of the Cretan Practice Based Research Network (CPBRN) in General Practice were invited to participate in an electronic exchange of opinions and views. The main topics which were formulated to stimulate discussion included: ‘The challenges and problems faced by rural-serving Greek General Practitioners (GPs) on Crete, in the context of the current financial recession and austerity period’. The theme selected for this electronic debate was: ‘To what extent does the financial crisis impact on health, quality of care and health equity’.