The situation in Poland’s health protection is difficult, if not hopeless. The ruling coalition, even during the election campaign, promised that as soon as it took power it would change. It was supposed to happen like a “magic wand” – as later announced by Izabela Leszczyna (she was Minister of Health from 13 December 2023 to 24 July 2025). . But neither she nor her successor Jolanta Sobierańska‑Grenda managed it, even though the coalition composed of the Civic Coalition, Poland 2050, Polish People's Party, New Left and Centre – a parliamentary club formed by MPs who left Poland 2050 – has been ruling for almost three years. What could not be done during most terms can be achieved in the last year? Let’s remember that parliamentary elections will take place in the fall of 2027, and current polls indicate that the ruling coalition will lose power, even though the Civic Coalition might win the elections.
Huge waiting lists for doctors
The National Health Fund (NFZ) report that “Fakt” accessed shows that waiting lists for specialist doctors are enormous. And these data show the situation only for the first quarter of 2026, and it is worth noting that from 1 April the limits on subsidies for excess procedures in gastroscopy, colonoscopy, MRI and CT were reduced, which may have caused waiting lists for tests to lengthen even more. These are some of the tests that crowds are waiting for.
The NFZ report shows that among patients whose condition was classified as “stable case”, over 931 thousand people are waiting for outpatient physiotherapy, over 246 thousand for MRI, nearly 230 thousand for colonoscopy, 182 thousand for CT, and almost 135 thousand for gastroscopy. Such long waiting lists mean that NFZ appointments are truly far away. As “Fakt” verified, the next available colonoscopy in Poznań is only on 7 October, and in Kraków you have to wait until 14 December 2027! And that’s not the worst situation one can encounter. In Rzeszów the first available slot for that test is only May 2028! Some absurdity, but unfortunately a bitter reality.
Treatments in the public health service keep patients from sleeping. And it’s not just about tests. Almost 354 thousand people are waiting for an ophthalmology appointment, over 279 thousand for dentistry, and over 224 thousand for trauma and orthopedic surgery.
Health Minister announces reform… but why so late?
Did the government really need a scandal at the Warsaw South Hospital to finally get to work? Or are these just actions that for now are meant to calm public opinion? After all, elections are next year, and voters can be nostalgic. Well. Prime Minister Donald Tusk threatened resignations (though he later began to withdraw from it), and it seems that the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund finally started preparing a plan to fix the health protection situation. The open question remains whether it is the so‑called “quick‑fix plan” and what will actually result from it?
According to the proposed solution, the ministry aims to shorten waiting lists for doctors, end the pathologies where everything can be arranged through connections, and limit the earnings of doctors working in public institutions, so that the pathology of a 28‑year‑old doctor without specialization earning 1.6 million PLN in a single hospital does not happen again. He also worked in other institutions. Of course, this refers to former Ursus district councilor from the Civic Coalition, Dawid Kacprzyk, whose scandal started at the Warsaw hospital. Now it is known that similar situations also occurred in other medical facilities. In Mogilno neurosurgeons earned 26 thousand PLN per hour!
The Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska‑Grenda’s proposal is as follows. She wants to limit the hourly rate of doctors working in public institutions to 240 PLN gross, which would translate to a monthly salary of about 40 thousand PLN gross. A doctor working in a public hospital would have to be employed there for at least half a shift. And if he wanted to combine work with another place, he would need the hospital director’s approval. The head of the health ministry also announced an expansion of e‑registration for doctors and the introduction of something like an e‑queue, which would help patients see where free slots for specialists are. The question is which of these proposals will be implemented? And is there really the political will of the ruling coalition to enter a kind of “conflict” with the highest‑earning doctors? These are open questions, and we will probably learn the answers soon.
They used their political position
The scandal at the Warsaw South Hospital, which sparked a nationwide uproar, is not only about the low wages of a young doctor linked to the Civic Coalition, but also about the special treatment of party colleagues who were allowed to 28‑year‑old Dawid Kacprzyk create a special “VIP lounge” where they could wait for a test that was performed outside the queue. So far, the names of those who were supposed to benefit from it have not been disclosed. Case? Maybe the list includes top Civic Coalition politicians?
Cases in which politicians used their political position began to multiply. Or rather, more and more started to surface, because it is clear that this was the case. The only question is where and who benefited from it?
One of the disclosed cases is that of Civic Coalition MP Małgorzata Pępek, who was supposed to have a gastroscopy performed in a hospital in Żywiec faster than other patients.
Polsat News reported another case in which a political position was used. This time it concerns the chairman of the county council in Lubartów, Andrzej Kardasz from Law and Justice, who in April was supposed to have an operation in the local hospital, even though the surgical department was closed at the time. Interesting, how many more such cases will see the light of day, and how many will the public never learn about?
See also: Poles do not want an increase in health contributions. What solution will the ministry find to improve the health protection situation?
