The Council of Ministers has adopted a draft amendment to the law on publicly funded health care services. The aim of the reform is to rationalize and make more flexible the system of basic hospital security (PSZ), as well as to improve the efficiency of hospitals. The reform is part of the implementation of the so-called milestones of the National Reconstruction Plan.
The government has adopted a draft hospital reform
Published July 2, 2025 07:39
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The government wants to better tailor hospitals' offerings to local needs, improve the quality of services and increase the flexibility of facility management. On July 1, 2025, the Council of Ministers adopted a bill to amend the law on publicly funded health care services and some other laws.
Among other things, the draft includes the possibility of converting hospital departments, merging facilities by local governments, and implementing recovery plans for indebted entities. Reform of the hospital system is one of the key elements of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
Key changes:
- Flexible management of hospitals: Hospitals-with the approval of the National Health Service-will be able to convert some wards into nursing or nursing care facilities, as well as convert full hospitalization into elective or same-day treatment.
- New category of guaranteed benefits: Benefits provided at a district health center - on a 24-hour basis, including general surgery, internal medicine and sanitary transport - have been introduced.
- Better pricing of outpatient services: This will enable more frequent diagnosis and treatment of patients without the need for hospitalization.
- Greater access without referral: The catalog of services available without a referral has been expanded to include advice from a psychologist, a sports medicine doctor and an optometrist. The optometrist will be able to make a referral to an ophthalmologist.
- New possibilities for merging hospitals: Local governments will be able to merge stand-alone public health care facilities, allowing them to create larger, more specialized units without duplicating departments with the same profile.
- Recovery programs for indebted entities: The obligation to prepare them will apply to both SPZOZs and capital companies with majority ownership of public entities and research institutes. The programs will be preceded by an in-depth analysis of efficiency, management and quality of services.
The new regulations are expected to take effect 14 days after being announced in the Official Gazette.
Source: KPRM
