Poland’s Ministry of Health introduces sweeping changes to hospital staffing requirements, including new professions, restored roles, and updated qualifications for nurses.
Major Overhaul in Hospital Staffing
The Polish Ministry of Health has prepared a draft regulation amending provisions regarding qualification requirements for employees in various positions in non-commercial healthcare entities. The main objective of the amendment dated January 19, 2026, is to implement authorization contained in the Act on Medical Activities and harmonize regulations with the Act of August 17, 2023, on certain medical professions.
New Medical Professions Introduced
The project adapts job positions to qualifications required for a wide catalog of professions regulated by the new law. Changes include positions for dental assistants and hygienists, radiographers, medical caregivers, optometrists, orthoptists, hearing aid technicians, and technicians in pharmaceuticals, massage therapy, orthopedics, and medical sterilization.
Significant changes affect dietitians. The regulations of the Act on certain medical professions cover individuals planning diets and providing educational advice within guaranteed services. Consequently, positions for dietitian, senior dietitian, and dietitian assistant have been adjusted to new education and qualification requirements, similar to other regulated professions.
Health Prevention Specialist Replaces Public Health Roles
One of the key innovations is the introduction of two new professions to the list of positions: podiatrist and health prevention specialist. Career levels from junior assistant, through assistant, to senior podiatrist and senior prevention specialist will appear in the organizational structure.
Importantly, new positions related to the health prevention profession (requiring completion of first or second-cycle studies in public health) will replace previous positions dedicated to public health graduates. The payroll grid and positions will therefore be eliminated: junior assistant in public health, assistant in public health, and senior assistant in public health.
Return of the Plaster Technician
Responding to signals from healthcare institutions, the Ministry of Health has decided to restore positions that existed in regulations in the 1990s. These include the “plaster technician” and “senior plaster technician” roles, which will complement the group comprising orderlies, nurses’ aides, and laboratory assistants. As noted in the justification, the need to include this function was directly requested by medical facilities.
At the request of the National Chamber of Physiotherapists, the position of balneological assistant has also been introduced. This aims to relieve qualified physiotherapists of technical tasks. The balneological assistant will handle tasks such as washing and disinfecting bathtubs, preparing stations for hydrotherapy and peloidotherapy, and assisting with procedures that do not require specialized physiotherapy qualifications.
Strengthening Oncology and Cardiology
In response to recommendations from the National Oncology Council and the National Consultant in Pathomorphology, positions for histotechnician and histotechnologist have been added to the regulation. This is intended to address the insufficient number of personnel preparing materials in pathomorphology units, which will directly improve the quality of examinations and patient safety.
The name and scope of duties for coordinators are also changing. The previous “oncology patient coordinator” becomes “oncology or cardiology patient coordinator.” This is a result of the implementation of the Act on the National Cardiology Network, which requires second and third level centers to appoint such a person.
New Requirements for Nursing Leadership
Significant changes introduced at the request of the Main Council of Nurses and Midwives (NRPiP) concern managerial staff. Qualification requirements for positions such as chief nurse, head midwife, and their deputies have been changed.
According to the project, these positions will require a master’s degree in nursing or midwifery, postgraduate studies in health management, and a specialist title in nursing (or a relevant field) along with 7 years of professional experience. Unifying these requirements is crucial for competition procedures in healthcare institutions. Additionally, new functions will appear: coordinating nurse deputy and coordinating midwife deputy.
Opening Sterilization Departments to New Professions
The project responds to the demands of the Polish Association of Medical Sterilization by changing requirements for heads of central sterilization departments. The new regulations will allow individuals without a medical background—such as biologists or biotechnologists—to hold these positions, provided they have completed postgraduate studies in health management. This change is intended to help fill staffing shortages by creating a career path for individuals who previously could not obtain the required medical specializations.
A new position will also appear in the administrative structure of hospitals: senior specialist for occupational safety and health.
