MPC: the law on quality will allow to reward facilities that care about this quality

What is the significance of the Health Care Quality and Patient Safety Act for patients?

This law changes the point of view and philosophy of the health care system. Currently, we pay for a procedure, for a certain activity that will be performed, but we do not pay for the quality of the procedure performed. The law prioritizes rewarding quality. It will be evaluated clinically in medical facilities, in terms of management, and in terms of evaluation by patients themselves. Those medical facilities that have quality at the highest level will be rewarded, financially of course. We, as patients, will also know which medical facilities are rated best. This will allow us to target those facilities that put quality first.

When it comes to the health care system, the Quality and Patient Safety Law is ultimately a medical event compensation fund. This means that any adverse event resulting in harm to the patient that occurs in the health care system will be compensated. The patient will be able to receive the compensation due without having to go to court, in a simple, transparent, very cheap and fast way, as within three months. The fund will be handled by an office that is trusted among patients, the Patient Ombudsman.

In principle, everyone agrees that a law on quality and safety is needed, while discrepancies arise in important details. What is at stake in this dispute?

On the part of the medical community, there were expectations of a different construction of the adverse event registration system and an emphasis on exemption from criminal liability for reporting such events. This element actually caused controversy. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announced that issues related to the quality law and the compensation fund will be referred to parliamentary work most likely as part of an MP bill. The element related to the reporting of adverse events and the issue of possible exemption of medical personnel from criminal liability is an issue that should continue to be discussed. The minister announced a dialogue in this regard.