Scientific Council for Healthcare

The Scientific Council for Healthcare is an advisory body operating under the authority of the Ministry of Health and Social Security.

Composition

The Scientific Council is composed of eight members, all of whom are appointed by the Minister of Health and Social Security. The members include:

• two representatives from the Health Directorate;
• two representatives from the Social Security Medical Board (Contrôle médical de la sécurité sociale);
• four representatives of the Association of Doctors and Dentists (AMMD).

Whenever the Scientific Council needs to address matters in the field of dentistry, the doctors are replaced by four dentists.

An alternate member is appointed for each standing member.

Remit

Drawing on knowledge acquired by the international scientific community, the Scientific Council issues medical recommendations, and disseminates them among doctors and, if need be, among other healthcare professionals.

How it functions

The members of the Scientific Council – doctors, dentists, replacement members and alternate members – are appointed on proposals put forward by the group representing the doctors and dentists.

The Chair is appointed by the Council's standing members.

The Council's secretariat is staffed by a civil servant, who performs administrative tasks.

If need be, the Council may engage the services of experts. If its budget permits, it may seek scientific support from international research institutes or experts, through agreements entered into by the Luxembourg government. These collaborations are generally entered into for the purpose of gathering scientific data or, if need be, disseminating its recommendations.

The Scientific Council may also call upon the services of the Health Directorate, the National Health Laboratory (Laboratoire national de la santé), the Social Security Medical Board, the National Health Fund (Caisse nationale de santé - CNS), and the General Inspectorate of Social Security (Inspection générale de la sécurité sociale), for statistical data it needs to fulfil its remit.

The Council draws up annual and multi-annual work schedules covering the topics on which it intends to make recommendations, and forwards these schedules to the Minister of Health and Social Security. It may set up ad hoc working groups to examine specific topics. Its decisions are taken by consensus.

Its recommendations for best practices are disseminated among doctors and healthcare professionals by any suitable means.