Hospice Palliative Care Development in Hungary.

During the past 25 years, many developmental steps have occurred in Hungary in palliative care. Further education and service development is needed to provide a quality palliative care for all the Hungarian people. Hungary has a universal health care system with a developed infrastructure. The first Hungarian hospice team started in 1991. At that time, the concept of hospice care was unknown. Symptom control and psychosocial support for the dying patient was inadequate. The regulatory framework was based on the 1997 Health Care Act which was followed by significant palliative care legislation including documents on the legal requirements for palliative care (2004). National guidelines were developed in 2002. Home and inpatient hospice care are reimbursed by the National Insurance Fund. Patients and families pay nothing. The multidisciplinary team provides care for patients and families and hospice home care is widely available across the country. Inpatient units are still lacking in Hungary. Strong opioids are readily available in the country and can be prescribed for cancer and noncancer patients. Palliative care is taught in medical and nursing undergraduate and postgraduate education. From 2014, physicians in Hungary can take a one-year course to qualify for a license in palliative medicine.