We want constructive dialogue, we want talks about quality and patient safety," Lukasz Jankowski, president of the Supreme Medical Council, said on Monday. The Agreement of Medical Organizations held a press conference at the NIL headquarters, during which leaders assured that no one cares more than doctors about quality in health care and patient safety.
Quality Law: What are the medics hoping for?
Published April 17, 2023 17:17
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The Diet on Friday failed to override the Senate's veto of the Law on Quality in Health Care and Patient Safety. The Senate's resolution was just one vote short of rejection, and the Health Minister immediately after the vote lamented that the patient lost and corporate interests won, and announced that he would do everything possible to bring the bill back.
Monday's conference was attended by representatives of the Supreme Chamber of Physicians, the Federation of Healthcare Employers' Associations "Porozumienie Zielonogórskie", the All-Poland Physicians' Trade Union and the OZZL Residents' Agreement.
- Parliamentarians allowed themselves to be convinced that the Quality Law in this form should not come into force. Quality and safety of treatment yes, the Quality Law in this form - no," said Lukasz Jankowski, thanking all those who were involved in convincing MPs of the law's shortcomings. - We don't want to focus on what was, but rather look forward and focus on what will be. We all need quality in the health care system. Our patients and we as medics need security. As the Alliance of Medical Organizations, we want to speak up and say what a quality law should look like from our side," said the head of the medical self-government. He stressed that it is also important to look on the positive side and note that the Law on Quality - although flawed and poorly processed, without the necessary dialogue - was an opportunity to discuss and put the topic of quality in health care in its rightful, high place. Now, he said, it is possible to start anew and prepare better - for the system and for patients - solutions.
The doctors assured that they are ready for dialogue, and the proof is to be the establishment of the "Forum for Quality and Patient Safety," a platform to discuss the Quality Law. The first meeting is scheduled to take place on May 10.
What are the medics hoping for? - There can be no quality without guarantees of safe working conditions for staff. For more than a dozen years we have been asking the Ministry to sit down to work on minimum staffing standards for doctors. We are talking about minimum security in specialized staff depending on the number of patients in the wards, which will guarantee safety for doctors and patients," said Grazyna Cebula-Kubat, chairwoman of OZZL.
Journalists asked the doctors to comment on the allegation of the alleged victory of corporate interest over patient welfare. - Our corporate interest is one: a safe health care system and patient safety. All our substantive and political work has been going in this direction. We have a common goal with the Ministry, namely quality. Only the execution failed a little," stated Lukasz Jankowski.
