During the end of May and beginning of June 2013 I had the privilege to undertake a 2-week exchange, through the Hippokrates Exchange Programme. This took place in a community health centre just outside Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe within a short driving distance from Italy to the west, Austria and Hungary to the north, Croatia to the east, and the Adriatic Sea on the south coast. Slovenians who live closer to Italy learn to speak Italian, which they speak better than English, and those closer to the north and towards Austria learn German. However, most people learn English at school and are able to communicate effectively.
In Slovenia the healthcare system allows greater access to a specialist in the community: most health centres have a community paediatrician or gynaecologist that patients can consult without a referral from the GP. Patients can choose their GP and they do not have to live in the area where the health centre building is. Blood tests are easily accessible. There is a pathology laboratory in each community health centre and this allows for simple blood test results to be obtained in less than an hour.
GPs are obliged to work in the emergency department and so are up-to-date with their emergency care skills. Primary prevention checks are carried out by nurses who have more time — sometimes up to an hour — to provide lifestyle advice and address risk factors. Disadvantages of the system include the absence of administrative staff at the health centre apart from a receptionist. This results in the GP having to carry out a lot of paperwork in terms of any referrals and prescriptions. There is also a persistence of paper records, despite an electronic system which is marginally used and not regularly updated. Overall, primary care in Slovenia is under-funded.
Waiting to see the doctor in Tamale, Northern Ghana.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2013
