The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council has negatively assessed the draft law prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which provides for the continuation of simplified procedures for obtaining the right to practice as a doctor and dentist. The Medical Council demands a complete repeal of these solutions, pointing to threats to the quality of health care and patient safety.
Medical council against "simplified" professional pathway for non-EU doctors
Published Aug. 4, 2025 11:43
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The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council, after analyzing the government's draft amendment to the Law on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine and Certain Other Laws, has issued a negative opinion with regard to the provisions concerning the professions of doctor and dentist. According to the medical self-government, the draft not only ignores their voice in the consultations, but also perpetuates unacceptable - in the opinion of doctors - simplified access paths to practice medicine in Poland.
Omission of local government from consultation
The NRL stresses with indignation that the draft law was not submitted to the Supreme Medical Council for public consultation, despite the fact that it contains significant changes to the Law on Physician and Dentist Professions. According to the self-government, this is a serious violation of the principles of lawmaking.
Perpetuating simplified modes - against doctors' demands
The draft amendment envisages, among other things, clarifying and "sealing" the simplified procedures that allow the granting of the right to practice a profession to people from outside the European Union, including citizens of Ukraine. However, the NRL opposes such measures and unequivocally demands the abolition of both simplified procedures - conditional and limited right to practice a profession. In the opinion of the Presidium of the NRL, these modes do not ensure reliable verification of professional qualifications and hinder effective supervision of medical practitioners.
Lack of oversight and ethical responsibility
According to the opinion presented, the current legislation creates a dangerous precedent - some health care practitioners may remain outside the structures of the professional self-government, which means that they are not bound by the Code of Medical Ethics or professional responsibility. This, the Bureau stresses, is an unacceptable situation from the point of view of patient safety.
Specific legal objections
In a detailed section of the document, the self-government makes numerous legislative comments on Article 4 of the draft law, ranging from the misidentification of the bodies responsible for processing applications, to imprecise wording on application deadlines, to unjustified additional information obligations imposed on district medical boards.
The NRL demands, among other things, that:
- regulations prevented multiple applications for the right to practice on the basis of a single decision by the Minister of Health,
- The 6-month deadline for submitting an application to the district medical council was rigidly in effect, with no discretion to consider late applications,
- count the term of the 5-year restriction on the right to practice from the date of the decision of the Minister of Health, not from the issuance of the right to practice document by the medical board.
Opposition to further extension of temporary solutions
The Presidium of the NRL is also strongly opposed to the proposed Article 17(2), which de facto allows Ukrainian citizens to continue applying for a conditional right to practice their profession, despite the fact that the period provided for in the previous regulations has expired in October 2024. For doctors, this is an attempt to circumvent a law that has already expired.
Source: NIL
