Poland’s Ministry of Health will implement new hospital regulations July 1, 2026, allowing medical staff absences on weekends if no patients are present.
Scope of the New Regulations
A new regulation from Poland’s Ministry of Health will change hospital duty rules, allowing medical facilities to not provide staff on weekends and holidays when no patients are present on wards. The changes are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
The regulation specifically concerns planned hospitalizations rather than all hospital activities. It will modify rules for guaranteed benefits in hospital treatment, requiring continuous medical and nursing care only from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
Emergency Departments Exempt
The new rules do not apply to emergency departments or units responsible for receiving patients in critical conditions. These facilities must maintain medical staffing even on weekends and holidays.
The regulation explicitly excludes emergency departments and units providing medical rescue services, which are governed by separate legislation on State Medical Rescue.
Rationale Behind the Change
The Ministry of Health justifies the regulation as a way to better utilize limited healthcare resources. Maintaining medical staff on weekends in empty wards is described as inefficient use of personnel.
The ministry suggests the change will allow hospitals to better plan staff allocation and direct personnel where they are actually needed. Medical personnel may be redirected to handle emergency cases or other urgent interventions during off-days.
Potential Impact on Healthcare System
According to impact assessments, the regulation may affect 125 healthcare providers with 302 contracts for planned hospitalization services. The change could impact over 37 million potential healthcare beneficiaries in Poland.
However, the exact scale of impact is difficult to estimate, as it depends on how many weekends per year planned hospitalization wards remain without patients.
