On Tuesday, April 8, the Council of Ministers reviewed three legislative proposals, including the draft law on hospital reform. However, only the other two were adopted. This marked the third attempt to finalize a unified version of the government’s own bill. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Health Committee is eager to begin work on the proposal, particularly to address expert opinions and feedback from public consultations. The aim of the law is to improve patient care, reduce hospital debt, and enhance the management of healthcare facilities.
“The current state of Poland’s healthcare system is neither satisfactory nor sufficient. People are – rightly – complaining about long waiting times for doctors and delays in receiving care. This reform, which focuses on hospitals, is meant to be the first step toward broader healthcare system reform,” said Wioleta Tomczak, Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Health Committee, in an interview with Newseria. “We know that many hospitals, especially county hospitals, are heavily in debt. Contracts are inadequate, and the National Health Fund (NFZ) imposes limits on reimbursement for services beyond contract volumes. While some medical procedures are exempt from these limits, the system still doesn’t function the way we would expect.”
The draft law, prepared by the Ministry of Health, amending the Act on Healthcare Services Financed from Public Funds and other regulations, was presented to the Council of Ministers on April 8. However, the government’s official post-meeting communication made no mention of the hospital reform bill. According to “Rynek Zdrowia,” the project was again sent back to the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers, reportedly due to controversy surrounding a last-minute addition regarding work permits for foreign doctors.
“As the Health Committee, we’ve been waiting for the opportunity to work on this government project. We want to take a deep dive into expert opinions and public feedback gathered during the consultation phase. We’ll also be considering analyses from the Parliamentary Bureau of Research and Impact Assessment. During committee meetings, we’ll make sure to give the floor to experts,” Tomczak explained. “We don’t want to pass a law that will have to be amended immediately after it leaves Parliament, so perhaps taking a bit more time will result in a high-quality bill that truly benefits Polish patients.”
The law would allow for the voluntary consolidation of hospitals, introduce recovery plans for indebted institutions, and promote scheduled and one-day surgeries. According to Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna, the current system fosters unhealthy competition among hospitals for doctors, patients, and NFZ contracts. In her view, it would be better to create a single, well-equipped unit with qualified staff and modern equipment, ensuring better working conditions for medical personnel and improved care for patients.
“We’re seeing inefficient use of human and infrastructure resources. Some hospitals maintain elevated readiness levels for full hospitalizations even when it’s not medically justified, resulting in excessive costs. An analysis of services in general surgery wards showed that over 60% of hospitalizations could have been handled as one-day procedures, which don’t require round-the-clock access to operating rooms. We’re also seeing redundancy in services offered and in keeping specialized personnel on standby without clear need,” the draft’s justification reads.
The bill’s authors argue that the proposed changes would help concentrate surgical services in facilities with greater experience and staffing capacity, while making better use of limited resources. This includes reducing the number of hospitals that maintain continuous emergency readiness without necessity.
“It’s been a longstanding goal – and rightly so – not only to perform medical procedures, but to do so in a way that prevents patients from needing to return to the healthcare system. That opens the door for others in need to access care,” Tomczak said. “This hospital reform should focus on improving quality, reducing debt, and enhancing hospital management rather than merely administering them. That’s what I expect from this legislation, and I hope we succeed in crafting provisions to that end.”
Passing the bill is one of the milestones required to unlock funds from Poland’s National Recovery Plan. The reform is tied to €17 billion in healthcare investments, including €10 billion earmarked specifically for hospital infrastructure.
