Polish hospitals will now provide childbirth services in emergency departments under a new health ministry regulation effective January 15, 2026.
New Regulation Requirements
A new regulation published in the Journal of Laws on January 15, 2026, amends the hospital treatment benefits regulation. It outlines the conditions hospitals must meet to offer this new service. Continuous midwife care for pregnant or delivering women will be provided in specially designated separate rooms at the hospital emergency department or admission room.
In addition to at least one midwife, a paramedic must also be on duty at all times. A specially equipped ambulance must be available around the clock, capable of transporting patients to the nearest maternity ward in less than 15 minutes if necessary.
Midwife Responsibilities
According to the regulation, the midwife will assess the clinical condition of pregnant or delivering women. She will also be responsible for determining risk factors and any potential pathology of pregnancy, delivery, or postpartum period.
The midwife will decide whether to transport the pregnant woman to a specialized hospital. She may also deliver the baby, though the Ministry of Health emphasizes such situations will occur incidentally – only when a woman arrives at the emergency department in advanced labor and transport to the nearest maternity ward would be too late.
Hospital Requirements
Hospitals wishing to offer midwife care in the emergency department must obtain positive opinions from provincial consultants in obstetrics and gynecology and in gynecological-obstetric nursing regarding the need to provide the service, considering the situation in the region.
There will be no obstetrician or neonatologist in the delivery room in the emergency department, but the hospital must have an obstetrics-gynecology clinic with a doctor available Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Policy Background
The Ministry of Health prepared these new regulations in response to increasingly frequent closures of unprofitable maternity departments in district hospitals. The goal was to ensure perinatal care for women living in counties where the distance to the nearest maternity ward exceeds 25 km.
The ministry decided on this solution despite doubts raised by the Government Legislation Center. The RCL pointed out that according to the constitution, public authorities should ensure equal access to publicly funded health services. The criterion of place of residence (at least 25 km from the nearest maternity ward), which determines service quality, may be inconsistent with the constitution.
