The machine was triggered by a scandal at Warsaw's South Hospital, which showed how many pathologies can arise in Polish hospitals. And that's not all. What happened at the Warsaw facility also revealed how imperfect the health protection system is and how badly the ruling party is handling this area. This may just be the tip of the iceberg. It turns out that there may be many more irregularities in Polish medical facilities. Some were detected by the National Health Fund.
Huge fines for Polish hospitals
1.6 million PLN per year earned at Warsaw's South Hospital by a 28‑year‑old doctor without specialization, Dawid Kacprzyk (formerly a Civic Coalition politician), or 26 thousand PLN per hour of work for neurosurgeons at a hospital in Mogilno, are only part of the irregularities that have recently come to light. Many of them were discovered by the National Health Fund (NFZ), which imposed over 50 million PLN in fines on hospitals. These were levied on medical facilities for the improper use of nearly 24 million PLN. Hospitals must return almost 30.5 million PLN to the NFZ, which results from contractual penalties, and over 213 thousand PLN in compensation claims.
All of this was detected thanks to a quarterly audit conducted in the first three months of 2026. A total of 490 investigations were carried out.
According to the NFZ, the largest financial sanctions were imposed on a hospital in Rzeszów, where the medical records of 93 patients were examined (it’s scary to think what would happen if all the clinic’s “clients” were checked). In some cases, it was found that the system recorded significantly more expensive operations than were actually performed. The facility received a fine of almost 1.9 million PLN.
Irregularities were also found in Bydgoszcz, where the hospital was also charging for medical care it did not provide. The fine was almost 767 thousand PLN. In Wrocław, the error lay with doctors who, as the NFZ audit proved, were massively issuing prescriptions for a strong drug – fentanyl – contrary to reimbursement indications. In over 70% of cases, patients were prescribed doses exceeding the 90‑day limit. The fine for this offence is 246 thousand PLN.
All these fines must be paid by hospitals, not by the individuals responsible for the mistakes, including the doctors who caused them. Shouldn't they cover the penalties from their own pockets in such a situation?
The National Health Fund conducts planned audits in many facilities, but it is only a drop in the ocean of needs. This means many irregularities cannot be detected or happen too late to react. It also means the NFZ’s funds are drained by hospitals that, in part, try to extort money through dishonest practices. Could this be the problem that keeps the NFZ’s coffers empty despite constant “topping up”?
Prime Minister’s ultimatum expires today
Today, Tuesday 7 July 2026, the deadline set by Prime Minister Donald Tusk for presenting corrective measures to end the pathologies occurring in Polish hospitals is passing. This concerns the ever‑lengthening queues for doctors, lack of access to medical services, and doctors’ wage arrears. The head of government has ordered that by today a full list of solutions be prepared for Minister of Health Jolanta Sobierańska‑Grenda, who must cooperate with the National Health Fund’s management on this matter. Donald Tusk threatened that if solutions are not ready by the deadline, it will result in resignations, which could mean that the Minister of Health Jolanta Sobierańska‑Grenda and the President of the National Health Fund Filip Nowak could lose their positions.
See also: Poles do not want an increase in the health contribution. What solution will the ministry find to improve the health protection situation?
