Strategy for long-term social and health care in the Slovak Republic

Stratégia dlhodobej sociálno-zdravotnej starostlivosti v Slovenskej republike

The Strategy for long-term social and health care in the Slovak Republic is the framework that aims to develop a long-term social and health-care strategy for adults in Slovakia, addressing specific overlaps with children and youth care. The strategy is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic (MZ SR), the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (MPSVR SR), and the Association for the Protection of Patients' Rights (AOPP). The policy focuses on the adult population requiring long-term care, with implications for all target groups. It covers national-level health-care and social services sectors. The document proposes a participatory consultation process, evidence-based findings, patient and public input, and expert knowledge to shape public policy. It emphasizes the need for intensive cooperation between health and social care sectors. The strategy aims to inform qualified professional discussions and future action plans, including legislative amendments and a separate law on long-term care. However, the action plan's development was hindered by a lack of cooperation between ministries. The strategy was to result from a participatory process from 2017 to 2019, but the action plan's implementation has been indefinitely postponed due to the absence of inter-ministerial collaboration.