Hospitals Demand Thousands From Journalist Seeking Physician Salary Data

A journalist’s investigation into public hospital payrolls revealed that several institutions are blocking transparency, with one facility in Chrzanów demanding over 8,000 PLN to release doctor salary records.

Hospital Wage Transparency Findings

Public inquiries sent to 210 hospitals across Poland revealed that 70 facilities employ at least one doctor earning over 100,000 PLN gross per month. The highest recorded figure was 307,000 PLN gross, paid to a contractor at the Specialist Hospital in Piła during May.

Obstruction and Fee Demands

TVN24 journalist Mateusz Kudła reported that many hospitals refused to disclose data, citing time constraints or concerns over physician privacy. Several institutions attempted to impose significant administrative fees to fulfill the information requests.

The County Hospital in Chrzanów requested 8,360 PLN for the disclosure. Deputy Director Izabela Kiełbalska justified the cost by calculating the labor of four employees, overhead expenses for electricity, toner, and paper, and general management fees.

Record Salaries in the Healthcare Sector

Data from the Mazovian Voivodeship Marshal’s Office indicates even higher earnings, with top contractors in regional hospitals earning over 316,000 PLN monthly, amounting to nearly 3.8 million PLN annually.

The public debate regarding these figures was intensified by the financial disclosures of Dawid Kacprzyk. The 29-year-old anesthesiology resident, who held roles at multiple Warsaw-area facilities, reported earnings of nearly 1.6 million PLN for 2025.