Making an appointment with a doctor under the National Health Fund will be easier. This is a change that has never happened in Poland before.
On Friday, 25 July, the Council of Ministers adopted the draft act submitted by the Ministry of Health amending the act on health care services financed from public funds and certain other acts.
" Starting next year, the government will launch a central electronic registration system that will increase the availability of appointments, shorten waiting times, and make it easier for patients to choose the best date and facility. This solution will be implemented, among other things, as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO). The new system will simplify and expedite the registration process for healthcare services for priority appointments . It will also provide patients with easier access to information on available appointments with all providers covered by the central registration system," the Prime Minister's Office announced after a government meeting.
According to the project, a request for a doctor's appointment within the central registration system will be possible: via the Online Patient Account (IKP) or directly with the service provider - in person, by phone or email.
When registering, patients will be able to indicate their preferences , such as preferred appointment date and location, a specific doctor, or a specific facility. The system will automatically suggest the next available appointment date.
Appointments will be allocated according to the order of applications, the patient’s medical category, their entitlements (e.g. the right to use services out of turn) and selected criteria.
A common waiting list will be introduced for each healthcare service. If an appointment is unavailable, patients will be placed on a central waiting list, rather than on separate waiting lists managed by each facility, as is currently the case.
The patient will remain on the central waiting list until an available appointment for healthcare services becomes available that meets the criteria specified by the patient.
Initially, starting in 2026, central electronic registration will cover the following services: cardiology, breast cancer prevention, and cervical cancer prevention. The scope of services will gradually expand to include other healthcare services.
From 1 January to 1 July 2026, there will be a period during which medical facilities will be able to join the central electronic registration system.
After 1 July 2026, participation in central registration (for specified healthcare services) will be mandatory.
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