Massive liquidation in health care. Everything is in the president’s hands

From January 1, 2025, independent nurse and midwifery practices may cease to exist due to current regulations. The regulations introduced in 2017 assume that these practices must be integrated with POZ (Primary Health Care) teams. Approximately 1,600 such offices, serving a total of 8 million patients, may lose funding and the ability to continue operating. The amendment to the Act on the Medical Center for Postgraduate Education and certain other acts, adopted at the end of November, is intended to prevent this situation. However, the document is still waiting for the president’s signature.

What will the amendment to the Act change?

The most important change introduced by the amendment is to maintain the validity of the patient’s declaration, regardless of whether the nurse or midwife joins the primary care team. Thanks to this, patients will be able to continue cooperation with the selected nurse or midwife, even if she decides not to integrate with the primary care.

The provisions repeal Art. 33 section 2 and art. 34 section 2 of the Act on Primary Health Care. This will allow independent practices to accept new patients also after December 31, 2024, without the need to create primary care teams.

New competences and changes for primary care physicians

The amendment also provides for other changes aimed at improving the operation of the health care system. One of the important points is the extension of time for completing family medicine courses for primary care physicians. Current regulations require doctors specializing in pediatrics, internal diseases or general medicine to complete such a course by the end of 2024. The new regulations extend this deadline to December 31, 2026.

Another important change is the extension of the possibility of covering the costs of courses – not only by doctors or employers, but also by entities organizing courses, with the possibility of using EU funds.

The amendment also expands the competences of nurses and midwives. The introduced provision will enable them to carry out qualifying tests for vaccinations in children over 9 years of age. Until now, this task belonged exclusively to doctors. The new regulations are intended to speed up the vaccination process and relieve primary care physicians.

A threat to 8 million patients?

The nurses’ and midwives’ self-government has been warning for months that the liquidation of independent practices will result in problems with access to nursing care in patients’ homes. Maintaining their functioning is crucial, especially for people who require regular medical care at home.

The Ministry of Health assures that the changes introduced are aimed at maintaining the continuity of services and developing a model of coordinated health care. However, the final decision now rests with the president, whose signature will determine the further fate of the adopted regulations.