Online individual consultation about law with Marie Plíšková 2020

The range of topics was rather broad and included the activity of associations as a legal form of patient organizations, restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the protection of personal data and patients’ rights stipulated by the labor law. 

We discussed many problems concerning the association structure of patient organizations, which are often caused by inappropriately formulated by-laws, and matters concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, which created a difficult situation for some organizations because they could not effectively provide their services or had to limit the scope of their services. GDPR and the protection of personality in compliance with the Civil Code were also frequent topics; posting photographs showing the activity of organizations. The requirements concerning activity reporting, transparent financing and the protection of personal data, including the protection of personality, e.g. in connection with presentations on websites, are a problem.

Another important issue included patients’ rights concerning the prescribing of medical aids, patients’ rights in labor-law relations, where some patients may feel “discriminated” or inappropriately treated at work due to their disease. There are legislative shortcomings with respect to rare diseases, yet patient organizations do not have funds and capacity to initiate legislative changes that would facilitate the life of a certain type of patients. We also discussed labor-law relations and the responsibility for volunteers’ work. 

The communication was factual, and the representatives of patient organizations were always perfectly prepared. During the communication, their questions were elaborated on and additional information was provided, e.g. documentation from their activity.