Health and Social Protection

Programme Operator: Ministry of Interior

Programme objective:

The aim of the planned programme is to improve the national system of hospice and palliative care services in order to improve the quality of services and to provide equal access to them. The programme components complement each other in order to form a coherent system and to help reducing avoidable hospitalizations as well as the length of stays. Effective management of existing resources (palliative medical specialists, nurses, in-home service providers, volunteers, attachment figures of the patients, general practitioners) also represent a very important objective to be addressed.

The new system to be developed will be able to provide proximity services to people in disadvantaged areas, thus making a significant contribution to equal opportunities. The program will improve the allocation efficiency of the national healthcare system in a sustainable way by diverting resources from the expensive hospital treatments to more cost-effective outpatient and in-home cares, with a view to the needs and preferences of the patients. The sufficient knowledge of the patient and the attachment figures on the available care types is essential to enable the patient to make its own choice on the most appropriate available treatment best suited to his/her condition (i.e. where and how to receive care).

Swiss support: CHF 8 million

National co-financing: CHF 1,4 million

I. PROGRAMME COMPONENT  - Establishing regional integrated palliative care units

Programme Component Operator: Ministry of Interior

In the framework of the project integrated palliative care units shall be developed at regional level in Hungary on the professional methodology basis of an already functioning integrated care model.

In Hungary, the model of integrated palliative patient care has been first established in Pécs. New forms of care have been adopted there which may serve as examples for the wider introduction of these types of services. The main characteristic of the integrated care model of Pécs is that patients should always receive the most appropriate medical care responding to their current needs, preferences and life situation, while providing transitions between the different types of care.

Besides the already existing unit in Pécs, 7 other integrated hospice care units shall be set up in the framework of the programme (5 in rural locations and 2 in Budapest). In addition, 1 central integrated care unit for children will be established at the Children's Clinic of Semmelweis University, ensuring a high-level children's hospice palliative care service.

List of beneficiaries selected through a call for proposals can be found here.

II. PROGRAMME COMPONENT  - Quality assurance of the development of integrated palliative care units

Programme Component Operator: Hungarian Hospice-Palliative Association

The Hungarian Hospice-Palliative Association, coordinating and representing the Hungarian hospice service providers, manages the nationwide quality improvement of hospice care services, the dissemination of hospice-palliative care related information, research and education. As an umbrella organization, it can coordinate the establishment of integrated palliative units and provide the professional and methodological consistency of the developments.

The final beneficiary of the Component would be the Hungarian Hospice-Palliative Association.

III. PROGRAMME COMPONENT – „Day care centre”

Programme Component Operator: University of Pécs

As a pilot “project”a daytime palliative care centre will be set up in the city of Pécs. The establishment of the “day care centre” would mean a further step in the level of development for the University of Pécs. The pilot project of “day care centre” gives us the opportunity to introduce a new form of care in Hungary that is already part of the palliative care systems in many European countries. The success of the pilot program could contribute to the nationwide implementation of the day care centre in the Hungarian palliative-hospice care system. This innovative form of care would allow one-day care for in-home palliative patients, better symptom management, and psychological support for the patient and their attachment figures, while relieving the burdens of inpatient institutions.

The final beneficiary of the Component would be the University of Pécs.

IV. PROGRAMME COMPONENT - Developing in-home hospice service providers

Programme Component Operator: Ministry of Interior

Within this Component, we will provide resources for hospice service providers to purchase equipment. Patients and attachment figures are entitled to use these equipment free of charge during the project implementation phase, while later rent them for a nominal fee (covering maintenance costs). Having the necessary equipment at their disposal, patients would be enabled to enter in-home hospice care instead of being hospitalized.

End of life care at home provides not only much more humane conditions for patients and their families, but it also proves to be a cost-effective alternative to hospitalization.

The development of in-home hospice service providers can be genuinely effective, if these services are considered an integral part of the entire health care system, most importantly of the hospice-palliative care system. The development of coordinated palliative models facilitates cooperation between the different actors of the caregiver network, thereby contributing to alternate institutional care and ensuring the continuity of services.

The final beneficiary of the Component would be home hospice service providers.

V. PROGRAMME COMPONENT - Trainings and awareness raising campaign

Programme Component Operator: Ministry of Interior

The objectives of this Component are to increase the level of knowledge of experts through training programs on hospice-palliative care and to raise awareness among general public and practitioners. The evolution of the profession is supported by the single Department of Hospice-Palliative Care set up at the University of Pécs Medical School. Medicals can take palliative licence exam since 2014. Currently 110 doctors have palliative licence, but not all of them take part in patient care. It is a significant problem that only one third of the people working in palliative-hospice care are engaged in that activity as their main profession. The lack of capacity endangers the multidisciplinary team work and the continuity of services. To improve the knowledge of professionals holding a palliative-hospice licence and to increase the number of such professionals, further development of studies is needed, as well as providing information to residents, doctors, and other professionals on the professional development possibilities.

Besides the training of professionals, the programme component aims informing the public, since the broad integration of palliative care requires a change in the community thinking and in the attitude of the family members and of the whole population. To that effect, a national information campaign shall be carried out, which contributes to raise the awareness of the population and helps the patients to be aware of the different types of existing services and other possibilities

The final beneficiaries of the Component would be organizations (public institutions, universities, non-governmental organizations, enterprises) with appropriate professional knowledge and educational experience in the field of hospice palliative care and companies with experience in the field of communication for the implementation of awareness-raising activities.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL PROTECTION PROJECT

Project Operator: National Ambulance Service (NAS)

Project title: Improving life-saving skills

Project objectives:

The project, managed by the National Ambulance Service, aims to develop first aid and life-saving skills nationwide in Hungary. Its implementation will consist of several elements: the creation of a first aid education network (involving postmen, district nurses, teachers and civil guards), the development of an online training platform, the purchase of defibrillators, and awareness-raising appearances at events with first aid and CPR education.

The main goal of the project is to save more lives. Other goals include preventing long-term health damage, increasing public health awareness, and reducing health inequalities. In line with this mission, the project's slogan is: "Your life is my concern", which also appears in the logo.

Swiss support: HUF 3 billion (CHF 7 million)

National co-financing: HUF 512 million (~ CHF 1,2 million)

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

In Hungary, thousands of people die every year from sudden cardiac arrest on the streets and in public areas. With immediate CPR and the use of a defibrillator, up to 60 percent of resuscitations could be successful, which would save thousands of lives every year. The project aims to improve the above situation by increasing first aid knowledge and making it accessible to everyone.

The development of the population's basic life-saving knowledge is carried out by organizing practical first aid and resuscitation trainings, creating an online platform, developing e-learning materials, and purchasing first aid equipment (defibrillators).

The establishment of national training networks will take place both in schools (with the involvement of teachers and district nurses) and at local level with civil guard volunteers and postal workers. First aid and life-saving training will encourage the willingness to act in the field of lay first aid.

The training materials of the National Ambulance Service are being developed based on state-of-the-art professional principles, therefore anyone can freely obtain information about first aid and life-saving knowledge by using the website, and e-learning and other educational materials will greatly help refresh the knowledge of laypeople and trainers participating in the training.

More detailed information about the project can be found on the website of the National Ambulance Service by clicking here, and current new and events are also posted on the Facebook site of the project.