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Data set notes

European Health for All database

Indicators: 565

Updated: 18 October 2024

Contact: Data and Digital Health Unit (DDH)

The following abbreviations are used in the indicator titles:

• SDR: age-standardized death rates (see HFA-DB user manual/Technical notes, page 13, for details)

• FTE: full-time equivalent

• PP: physical persons

• PPP$: purchasing power parities expressed in US $, an internationally comparable scale reflecting the relative domestic purchasing powers of currencies.

More information: http://www.euro.who.int/en/data-and-evidence/databases/european-health-for-all-database-hfa-db

Indicator notes

Number of primary health care units
Indicator code: E275206.T

Includes all health care establishments providing outpatient care, e.g. outpatient departments of hospitals, polyclinics, ambulatories, medical centres, medical aid posts, etc. which are staffed with at least one health professional (physician or nurse). Establishments providing only dental care should be excluded._

Country/Area notes

Albania

Source: Ministry or Health.
Excluding outpatients in departments of hospitals.
Including outpatients from polyclinics, ambulatories, medical centres, medical aid posts, etc.

Armenia

Includes PHC units staffed with nurses or feldshers only.

Belarus

Includes all health services (medical out-patient departments, antenatal clinic, children's clinic,
dental clinic, obstetric clinics).

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Public Health Institute - Department of health statistics and informatics. Available up to the war
time on yearly basis. Source: PHI. War period 1992-94 just for the part of FBIHand 1995 for FBIH.
Source. PHI.

Bulgaria

The reform in outpatient care changed structure. Until 1999 there existed: school physicians,
factory physicians, etc. Since 2000, the number of primary care centers dropped. The numbers after
2000 do not include the GPs.

Croatia

Through privatization in PHC, there occurred a significant increase in 1996 in the number of PHC
units. All private offices in PHC have been added to the total.

Czechia

Source: Institute of Health Information and Statistics of CR (IHIS CR). Registry of Health
Establishments. Data relate to general hositals and independent establishments of out-patient care.
From the year 2000, data includes all establishments from all sectors (Ministries of Internal
Affairs, of Transport, of Justice and of Education). Establishments providing only dental care are
included.
Source: Institute of Health Information and Statistics of CR (IHIS CR).

Denmark

Source: A publication, Sygehusstatistik, made by the National Board of Health, concerning statistics
on Danish hospitals. Not updated every year.

Estonia

Until 2001, included only day care departments in hospitals. From 2002 includes all outpatient
departments in hospitals.
Source: annual reporting, NIHD.

Finland

Source: Hosptial Discharge Register, THL (National Institute for Health and Welfare).

Hungary

Source: Statistical Yearbook of the National Health Insurance Fund. The number of outpatient health
care establishments contracted by NHIF.

Iceland

Health centres providing outpatient care. Outpatient departments at hospitals are excluded.
Source: The Directorate of Health.

Italy

Source: Ministry of health, Health Information System

Latvia

Before 2001 the data does not include outpatient departments of hospitals.

Lithuania

LHIC, annual report data.
Data from 1999 include the number of private non-in-patient health care establishments.

Malta

Includes outpatient care at private and public hospitals, health centres, district health clinics
school medical services.

Montenegro

In 2008 all primary health centres were reformed and the structure and organization of work changed
(concept of chosen doctor is introduced). Data are revised in 2008 and 2009.

Poland

Military and police hospitals are not included. Source: Ministry of Health.

Portugal

Includes Health Care Centres and also the Health Centres Extensions, establishments belonging to the
national health services. Outpatient departments of hospitals, private polyclinics, medical aid
posts are not included

Romania

Up to 1998, this corresponded to the number of dispensaries with 2 or more physicians. In 1999,
health legislation changed the definition of a health unit to 'a family's physician's consulting
room. Thus the sharp increase from 2000.

Serbia

Includes all health care establishments providing outpatient care, e.g. outpatient departments of
hospitals, polyclinics, ambulatories, medical centres, medical aid posts, etc. which are staffed
with at least one health professional (physician or nurse). Establishments providing only dental
care are excluded.

Slovakia

January 2000:
New time series based on number of PHCU expressed using number of physician posts.

Slovenia

Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana 1996.

Sweden

1994-1995:As the previous figures:just number of health centre units at the end of 1994 and 1995.
The difference between 1993 and 1994 is due to the introduction of the system of family doctors. The
difference between 1994 and 1995 is due to the winding up of the same system. Source: National Board
of Health and Welfare.

Türkiye

Includes: family medicine units, health centers, health posts, MCHFP centers and tuberculosis
control dispensaries. Family medicine was launched in 2007 and therefore the data for 2006 give only
the number of health centers, health posts and tuberculosis dispensaries.

Turkmenistan

Includes urban and rural Health Houses (rural of two levels), ambulatory departments of etrap, city,
velaiat and central hospitals.

Ukraine

Included only public out-patient units under Ministry of Health.
Source: Centre of Health Statistics, Ministry of Health.