Medical Council Chief Meets Health Minister: “We Are Slightly Disappointed”

Following a 90-minute meeting at the Ministry of Health on Thursday, Supreme Medical Council President Dr. Łukasz Jankowski expressed dissatisfaction over a lack of concrete solutions for improving patient access to care.

Proposed System Reforms

The meeting between Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda and Dr. Łukasz Jankowski focused on recent ministry proposals. These include mandated transparency for NFZ-funded contracts, hourly wage caps for medical professionals, stricter hospital budget allocations for salaries, and comprehensive working time records for clinics and hospitals.

Concerns Over Concrete Solutions

Dr. Jankowski noted that while the meeting served as a “new opening,” it lacked legislative specifics regarding queue reduction and patient welfare. Both parties agreed that the systemic issue of excessive salary disparities—”wage chimneys”—must be addressed to restore fairness.

The discussion included a potential path toward aligning specialist physician salaries with triple the national average. Dr. Jankowski suggested this could incentivize doctors to transition from individual contracts to formal employment agreements.

Risk of Sector Privatization

The Medical Council raised concerns that certain ministry proposals could unintentionally fuel the privatization of the healthcare sector. The ministry assured the council that privatization is not a goal of the current administration, a stance Dr. Jankowski labeled as a positive signal for future dialogue.

Ministry Perspective on Necessary Change

Minister Sobierańska-Grenda emphasized that structural changes remain essential. She announced the formation of a working group led by Deputy Minister Tomasz Maciejewski, tasked with amending the Medical Profession Act and digitizing health services to prevent queue-jumping.

The minister noted that the ministry’s specific proposals, such as a 240 PLN gross hourly wage cap and requirements for doctors to maintain a primary workplace, did not trigger significant friction during the discussion. She affirmed that the ministry is committed to maintaining a dialogue with the medical community to ensure reforms benefit patients.