{"id":2349,"date":"2026-03-09T07:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T07:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/spcare\/?p=2349"},"modified":"2026-03-03T17:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:12:19","slug":"is-palliative-care-in-slovenia-truly-integrated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/spcare\/2026\/03\/09\/is-palliative-care-in-slovenia-truly-integrated\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Palliative Care in Slovenia Truly Integrated?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author: <\/strong>Nena Golob, MD, PhD<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Assistant Professor, <\/span>Department of Acute Palliative Care<\/span>
\n<\/span>Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia<\/span>
\n<\/span>Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana<\/span><\/em>
\nEmail: ngolob@onko-i.si <\/span>ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5148-4912<\/span><\/p>\n

Slovenia is a small Central European country with a population of just over two million and a publicly funded healthcare system. Over the last two decades, palliative care has gradually moved from the margins of clinical practice into national health policy. Today, it is formally recognised as an essential component of care for people living with advanced, incurable disease. However, palliative care in Slovenia has developed unevenly, being strongly rooted in oncological institutions and specialties, while remaining poorly accessible in other medical fields and unevenly distributed across the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From Pain Clinics to National Policy<\/b><\/p>\n

The development of palliative care in Slovenia began in the 1980s with hospital-based pain clinics. A more structured approach emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly within oncology. The first formal palliative care consultation team was established at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana in 2000, followed by the opening of an acute palliative care department in 2007 (1).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2010, Slovenia adopted a National Palliative Care Programme (1). This marked a significant milestone, formally defining palliative care as a two-level system (basic and specialised) and outlining responsibilities across primary, secondary, and tertiary care (2). The programme aimed to ensure regional organisation, continuity of care, and collaboration between healthcare providers (1).<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2011, Slovenia’s first mobile palliative care team was established in the region Upper Carniola. A major milestone was reached in 2021 when five hospitals signed the program for mobile palliative care teams with the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia. This was followed by the Ministry of Health beginning to implement a European-funded project focused on mobile palliative care teams. By the project\u2019s conclusion in May 2026, 14 mobile palliative care teams are expected to be funded. Simultaneously, additional efforts have been directed towards strengthening the entire network of services such as acute palliative care departments, outpatient clinics, and telephone support services across the country (1).<\/span><\/p>\n

However, while the policy framework exists, its implementation has been inconsistent and there is still no official palliative care legalisation in the country (1).<\/span><\/p>\n

How Is Palliative Care Organised?<\/b><\/p>\n

Palliative care in Slovenia is officially divided into:<\/span><\/p>\n