Back to top
DownloadCOUNTRY: Slovakia
KNOWLEDGE BROKERS:
Lubica Löffler, Analyst and Consultant, Pažitný & Kandilaki, Slovakia;
Peter Pažitný, Economist and Healthcare Expert, Managing Director of Central & East European Health Policy Network, Pažitný & Kandilaki, Slovakia;
Daniela Kanilaki, Economist and Healthcare Expert, Pažitný & Kandilaki, Slovakia
SEPEN thanks the knowledge brokers for their contribution in checking and completing the country-information. SEPEN is accountable for the content of the country profiles.
| Type of information | Source | Year | Remarks |
| Table 1: Health workforce stock and replacement | OECD | 2018 | Age characteristics of the nursing stock are not reported. |
| Figure 1: Mobility level in absolute numbers | OECD | 2018 | Only immigration data for OECD countries are available. The data produced are therefore incomplete. Not all OECD-countries register the country of origin of incoming health professionals and some do not register incoming health professionals at all. Emigration data are based on immigration numbers in other OECD-countries, as emigration as such is not registered nor reported. |
| Figure 2a: Number of practicing physicians per 1000 inhabitants | Eurostat | 2018 | Figure 2a presents regional distribution of physicians. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Figure 2b: Number of practicing nurses and midwives per 1000 inhabitants | Eurostat | 2014 | Figure 2b presents regional distrubution of nursing and midwifery. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Statistic | Number | Data Year |
| Total population | 5 450 421 | 2019 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 77,4 | 2018 |
Source: Eurostat
| Licensed to practice | Practising | Professionally active | |||||
| Statistic | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Data year |
| Physicians | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 19 178 | 3,52 | 2018 |
| > Generalist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
| > Specialist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
| Nurses | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 31 061 | 5,70 | 2018 |
| Midwives | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 1 742 | 0,32 | 2018 |
| Dentists | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 779 | 0,51 | 2018 |
| Pharmacists | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 4 354 | 0,80 | 2018 |
| Physiotherapists | Not reported | Not reported | 1 955 | 0,36 | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
Source: OECD
| Statistic | Number | per 1000 inhabitants | Data Year |
| Speech therapist | 161 | – | 2018 |
| Psychologist | 637 | – | 2018 |
| Physiotherapist | 1955 | – | 2018 |
| Name | Role | Website |
| National Health Information Center | Data collection in health care sector | http://www.nczisk.sk/Pages/default.aspx |
| Statistical office of Slovakia | Data collection (demography, some health indicators as well) | https://slovak.statistics.sk/wps/portal/ext/home/!ut/p/z0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8ziA809LZycDB0NLPyCXA08QxwD3IO8TAwNTEz1g1Pz9AuyHRUBtph-Sw!!/ |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Health Ministry | Regulation, owns state hospitals, state general HIC | https://www.health.gov.sk/Titulka |
| Institute for Health Policies (under auspices of Health Ministry) | Preparation of analysis, recommendations and preparation of policies | https://izp.sk/ |
| Self-governing regions | Regulation (local operative competences), permits for the operation of health care facilities, | 8 regions: Trnava, Bratislava, Nitra, Trenčín, Banská Bystrica, Žilina, Košice, Prešov |
| Health Insurance Companies | Contracts with providers (physicians) determine working conditions of providers | General HIC. Dôvea HIC, Union HIC |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Slovak Medical Chamber | To promote and advocate the interests of their members, maintain the register of health professionals and provide continuous education, grant licences, participate in legislation drafting and educational programmes | https://old.lekom.sk/en/index.php |
| Slovak Chamber of Dental Physicians | https://www.skzl.sk/ | |
| Slovak Pharmaceutical Chamber | https://www.slek.sk/ | |
| Slovak Chamber
of Nurses and Midwives |
https://www.sksapa.sk/ | |
| Association of Hospitals of Slovakia | Negotiations with health insurance companies | https://www.asociacianemocnic.sk/ |
| Association of Private Physicians | Participation in legislation drafting | http://new.aslsr.sk/#slider |
| Slovak Trade Union of Employees in Health and Social Services | To protect and ensure that the needs and interests of its members are met (salaries etc.) | http://www.szu.sk/index.php?&menu=71&oid= |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Comenius University in Bratislava | Education of the health workforce (undergraduate, postgraduate training, CPD) | https://www.fmed.uniba.sk/en/ |
| Slovak medical University in Bratislava | http://eng.szu.sk/ | |
| Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice | https://www.upjs.sk/lekarska-fakulta/ | |
| St. Elisabeth University of health care and social work | http://www.vssvalzbety.sk/english-info | |
| Trnava University | http://fzsp.truni.sk/en | |
| Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra | https://www.ukf.sk/en/university | |
| Catholic University in Ružomberok | http://www.ku.sk/en/ | |
| Prešov University | https://www.unipo.sk/en/ | |
| Alexander Dubcek University of Trencin | https://tnuni.sk/univerzita/historia/historia/ | |
| Faculty and university hospitals | Education of the health workforce – practice | https://infomedica.sk/zoznam-nemocnic/ |
| Original name | Stabilizačné štipendium |
| Name in English | Stabilisation scholarship |
| Short description |
Incentive policy to study nursing and stay in Slovakia and work in the system. Stabilisation scholarship of €2,000 is granted per year to nursing students. Graduated students are obliged to stay and practice in the national health system for at least 2 years of every paid year; if not, the same amount has to be paid back to the state. A total of 2,758 million EUR were earmarked for the scholarship of nursing students from the state budget. |
| Publication date | 18 September 2018 |
| Link to full text | https://rokovania.gov.sk/RVL/Material/23194/1 (Návrh „uznesenia”) |
Not reported
| Original name | Inštitút dočasnej odbornej stáže |
| Name in English | Temporary internship |
| Short description |
The Ministry of Health has introduced the concept of temporary internship. It allows doctors from the non-EU countries (for example, Serbia, Romania) to work in hospitals (1 year at most) before passing the compulsory exams and recognition of their qualification. |
| Publication date | 2019 |
| Link to full text | https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/516721-stat-pootvoril-dvere-lekarom-z-ukrajiny-ci-srbska/ [23 June 2019] |
| Original name | Rezidentské štúdium |
| Name in English | Residency programme |
| Short description | A residency programme was started in 2014 (financed from EU funds, currently it is paid from the state budget) with the aim of reducing the vacancies in GP positions by subsidising students who wish to specialise in general medicine or paediatrics, but do not have the financial means and a practice to carry on with the necessary studies. In 2018, the programme was extended to several new specialisations (e.g. radiology, geriatrics, gynaecology), and expanded to include specialisations for nurses: anaesthesia and intensive care, surgical instrumentation and nursing care in psychiatry. |
| Publication date | 2014 |
| Link to full text | https://www.health.gov.sk/?rezidenti |
Not reported
| Original name | Sústavné vzdelávanie zdravotníckych pracovníkov |
| Name in English | Continuous education of health professionals |
| Short description |
In accordance with § 42 of Act 578/2004 Coll. on healthcare providers, health workers and professional organisations in the health and amending certain laws, each health professional is obliged to register in the relevant professional chamber and regularly update their occupational and educational activities. Every physician is obliged to attend continuous professional development programmes. Professional chambers are responsible for monitoring fulfilment of mandatory CPD requirements. |
| Publication date | 2004 |
| Link to full text | §42 of Act 578/2004 https://www.zakonypreludi.sk/zz/2004-578 |
Not reported
| Original name | Platový automat |
| Name in English | Payroll automat |
| Short description |
In 2011, the government adopted a memorandum that legally declared the minimum threshold of salaries for hospital physicians. The wages are defined as multipliers of the national wage average and range from factor 1.3 up to 2.3, according to the level of specialisation. The memorandum was enhanced to nurses and midwives. Complying with the new legislation, wages have been gradually increasing. |
| Publication date | 2011 (increase started) |
| Link to full text | §80 of Act 578/2004, https://www.zakonypreludi.sk/zz/2012-62 |
Not reported
List of sources specific to this country:
Last updated: 10 October 2020
The country fiches are produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in the country sheets are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study.
Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission’s/Executive Agency’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
This website was produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this website. Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission's / Executive Agency's behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.