South Hospital Scandal: Health Minister Proposes Working Hour Caps

Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda addressed the irregularities at Warsaw’s South Hospital emergency department on Thursday, announcing new oversight measures and a potential cap on physician working hours to ensure patient safety.

Ministerial Intervention and Salary Oversight

Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda held a press conference on Thursday alongside the heads of the National Health Fund (NFZ), the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariffication (AOTMiT), and the national consultant for emergency medicine, Prof. Jerzy Robert Ładny. The Ministry confirmed that control measures were launched immediately upon receiving reports of irregularities at the South Hospital emergency department.

The Minister introduced plans to eliminate extreme salary disparities. She noted that a new Senate-approved mechanism for tracking medical salaries via PESEL numbers will help verify actual earnings, stating that current funding increases must translate into better patient outcomes.

Emergency Department Data and Ongoing Inspections

While officials cited confidentiality restrictions regarding the ongoing investigation, they reported that mortality rates at the South Hospital emergency department remain consistent with national averages, representing less than one percent of patients.

NFZ President Filip Nowak confirmed that the Fund has initiated 450 new audits across various hospitals. The Ministry is coordinating with the Patient Ombudsman and law enforcement agencies to investigate the reported irregularities thoroughly.

Regulating Medical Working Hours

Addressing systemic labor issues, the Ministry is considering a mandatory cap on working hours for medical professionals. Sobierańska-Grenda highlighted that discrepancies between standard employment contracts and B2B arrangements currently allow for unlimited hours, complicating oversight.

The Ministry has scheduled a meeting with the medical council for July 9 to discuss the implementation of these new regulatory limits and broader reforms to labor practices within the healthcare sector.