A new online platform, HomeMed.bg, connects patients and their families with health workers who visit people at home. It was presented at a news conference at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia. At the event, the Bulgarian Union of Physician Assistants and Paramedics (BSLAF) and the platform's creators signed a memorandum of cooperation.

The platform has been running for about two months. It was started by people who had needed medical care at home themselves.

The platform is meant to help patients find the right specialist more easily when they need a home visit, said Galina Zahariева, acting chair of BSLAF. She said people are often discharged from hospital before they have fully recovered, and their families then look for someone to take over their care.

Zahariева said GPs are under heavy strain. A shortage of staff and their uneven spread make it hard to get care in many towns and villages. She called the lack of home nursing care for more than 20 years a serious problem and said professional bodies have long pressed for a solution.

The patient picks a medical service and says where the visit should take place. They then look through the specialists' details and request a time that suits them. Users must register to use the platform. If they cannot do it themselves, someone else can register them.

The specialists set their own prices, based on the market and the type of service. The National Health Insurance Fund does not pay for private practices run by health workers, so patients pay themselves.

Physician assistants and paramedics who want to offer services must have the right qualifications, at least three years of experience and membership of their professional body. They must have a registered practice or work in one. The platform's team checks the registration and qualifications of every specialist who signs up.

The services are listed in Ordinance No. 1 of 8 February 2011. It sets out what health workers may do on a doctor's order or on their own.

Under the memorandum, the union and the creators of HomeMed.bg want to develop modern ways to provide medical and health services at home. They say they will work together in healthcare over the long term. Their aims are easier access to home medical care, more knowledge and skills for physician assistants and paramedics, and more chances to work within the law. Zahariева said she believes the platform will help patients find care and give specialists extra legal work on top of their main job.

Georgi Ivanov, who created the platform, said the aim is for patients and their families to find a specialist more easily, without waiting outside surgeries or losing time on the search. He admitted that very few health workers have registered on the platform so far.

The team is still improving the platform and adding new features.