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.

The final beneficiaries of the Component would be the hospitals setting up the integrated care units.

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 for LIFE together

Project objectives:

The long-term goal of the project to be implemented by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) is to create first aid education networks in order to save lives, prevent long-term health damage and reduce health inequalities.

Swiss support: HUF 3 billion (CHF 7 million)

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

SHORT INTRODUCTION OF THE PROJECT

The interrelated elements of the project are the creation of an online platform (website), the development of curricula, the acquisition and distribution of AED and AED trainers (external defibrillators), the organization of personal first aid and resuscitation trainings.

Targeted instructor networks are being formed from teachers and nurses in schools in the school districts, and on local level from civil guard volunteers, and postal workers.

Through first aid trainings, instructor networks need to reach a wide range of target groups: students, nurses, civil servants, postmen. First aid and life-saving training will strengthen the trainee's willingness to act and skills in the field of lay first aid.

The use of printed and online materials and the website promotes informed and conscious use of health services by supporting the more efficient use of health system resources.