Namysłów without a delivery room, Zamość without paediatrics. Several dozen hospital departments have already been closed in Poland [LIST]

In recent months, several dozen hospital departments have been closed or suspended throughout Poland. In most cases, the reasons are “staff shortages” or “problems with recruiting staff” due to unfavorable financial conditions offered by the institutions. There is also another important reason.

1. The fourth wave of the coronavirus is visible in Poland more and more clearly. Soon hospitals will fill up with covid patients. Meanwhile, the situation in Polish health care is bad. This applies to both the staffing of ambulances and hospitals throughout the country
2. More branches are being closed. In terms of number – most in Silesia, but in many voivodships several hospital departments were closed or suspended in the last few months
3. Pediatric and gynecology and obstetrics departments are most often closed. In Namysłów, Puck, Jaworzno and Elbląg, delivery rooms have been closed recently – these are only some examples
4. – The issue of staff shortages is not just about wages. We have a constantly aging society, therefore the number of medical services required by Polish patients is increasing. This increases the workload, causes burnout or simple frustration and the search for new jobs offering better working and pay conditions – tells us Artur Drobniak, Vice President of the Supreme Medical Council
5. More interesting information can be found on the Onet homepage

Closed hospital wards in Poland

There is no need to convince anyone that the situation in Polish health care is bad. We recently wrote about the situation in emergency medical services. All contract rescuers working in the province Lubuskie voivodship gave notice. Last week’s talks did not bring results. And it is not the only voivodeship ambulance station where such situations occur.

The same is the case in hospitals. More departments are closing, mainly due to staff shortages. Jakub Kosikowski, a clinical oncology resident from Lublin, a member of the board of the HMPA Resident Alliance, regularly writes about the situation in the facilities on Twitter.

«From June 1.06, PL closed / suspended / limited the functioning of: 1 oncology hospital, 5 paediatrics departments, 3 gynecology and obstetrics, 2 interns, 1 otolaryngology, 1 pediatric otolaryngology, 2 surgery, 1 emergency department, 2 neurology, 1 cardiology, 1 surgery vascular – as of July 14, ”wrote Kosikowski in July.

Why is this happening? Lack of staff and financial matters are not the only reasons. According to Dr. n. med. Jerzy Friediger, director of the Specialist Hospital. Stefan Żeromski Independent Public Healthcare Institution in Krakow, the closing of hospital wards, which is taking place today, is a consequence of, inter alia, actions undertaken over 30 years ago.

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«At the end of the 80s, we significantly limited enrollment in medical studies. It was known that this must have a negative impact on the condition of the medical staff. If he suddenly stops educating, there will be no more doctors. We have 77 specializations and all of them are of equal value. Therefore, doctors are more likely to choose an easier, narrower specialization than the broader one, such as internal medicine, gynecology or general surgery – says Dr. Jerzy Friediger in an interview with the Puls Medycyny website.

The doctor points out that the worst situation is in paediatrics and internal medicine. «At one point, we closed down pediatric clinics, so there was an alternative for pediatricians: either working in a pediatric ward or working as a subcontractor for family doctors. However, there was not so much where and not too much who was to train these doctors. Due to the fact that there were no jobs for pediatricians, doctors limited their enrollment in this specialization »- noted Dr. Friediger.

«There is no internal medicine clinic. The family doctors took over the entire boarding school. We have previously reported that these specializations will die »- adds the doctor.

OZLL – we are looking for work, pay and respect

However, it is mainly about the lack of staff. This is underlined by the National Physicians’ Union. As trade unionists write, there is a shortage of doctors and the lack of them will be more and more. Medics go to the private sector and abroad. The reason – disagreement with the government.

«The minister of health, the prime minister and the chairman of the governing party will make it impossible for anyone to treat in the state healthcare in a moment, we wanted to emphasize the seriousness of the situation in which patients may find themselves in a moment. Before the pandemic, doctors worked several jobs, because this was the model of their work. They did not even think about running from the hospital to the clinic because there was no time to think. There was simply no one to take on duty, so you took it. After the pandemic, all of us, including doctors, do not want to work several jobs to fill the staff gaps »- we read on the union’s website.

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“Doctors leave not only with decent pay and work conditions, but in search of respect, which they will not get from the Polish rulers,” emphasize the doctors.

«From the beginning of July, we read about more hospital wards and entire hospitals being closed. Their patients are the first to experience what, in a few months’ time, may become commonplace throughout the country – empty sick rooms, closed outpatient clinics, broken operating theaters.»- emphasizes the Association.

“The healthcare sector in Poland is treated as an unnecessary cost”

Adrian Dąbek, Medonet: Currently, several dozen hospital departments are closed, closed or suspended all over Poland. What is a cause of it?

Artur Drobniak, Vice President of the Supreme Medical Council: There are two main reasons. As a result of many years of neglect in vocational education (I emphasize that this applies not only to increasing the number of students in medical faculties, but also to providing jobs and opportunities to specialize after graduating from university), we have a generation gap and constantly aging groups of medical professions. For example, currently as many as 12 percent of all professionally active doctors. are doctors after … 70 years of age. The second issue is the deterioration of working conditions, unattractive pay conditions, which provoke both medical university graduates and professionally active specialists to emigrate abroad or to the commercial services sector.

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Staff shortages resulting from poor remuneration are certainly the most important and obvious reason. What are the others? Maybe some system or organizational error?

As I mentioned, the issue of staff shortages is not just about remuneration. We have a constantly aging society, therefore the number of medical services required by Polish patients is increasing. This increases the workload, causes burnout or simply frustration and the search for new jobs offering better working and pay conditions. Meanwhile, there are no more medical workers in the entire sector. According to an OECD report, the percentage of Poles employed in the healthcare sector in 2000 and 2017 is the same and amounts to approx. 6%. In other OECD countries, this percentage has steadily increased and in the Scandinavian countries it reaches over 15%. There, the healthcare sector is crucial for the economy, in Poland it is still treated as an unnecessary cost, not an investment.

In which specializations is the situation the worst?

It is difficult to clearly indicate which specializations are the worst, because here the regional situation often decides. Certainly, the shortages of those willing to perform heavy surgical specializations: surgery, gynecology and obstetrics or emergency medicine are noticeable. Until a few years ago, getting a specialization in gynecology required very high results from the medical examination after graduation. Currently, there are vacancies for it due to the lack of applicants. The situation with Polish child psychiatry is directly tragic, where we have a significant shortage of specialists and a clear trend pointing to a decreasing number of people willing to work in the public sector.

What should be done to improve the state of affairs? What besides increasing expenditure on health care?

He does not want to present unequivocal conclusions because he does not have complete data. It would certainly be a good idea to transform some hospitals into care and treatment facilities, especially where the number of hospitals in relation to the population is excessive and the population is aging the fastest. It would also be a good idea to transfer the so-called one-day procedures to be performed in an outpatient clinic, not in hospital wards. This would increase the number of vacant hospital beds to accommodate those patients who require absolute hospital treatment. Primary care still has great potential. Patients with the most common chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension or hypothyroidism, can and should be led there, at least during the period of disease stabilization.

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Tax assumptions related to the Polish Order may make the situation even worse. What is the medical community planning in this situation?

It seems that in the situation of such a significant increase in the taxation of “self-employed” medics, it may result in the termination of contracts and even higher wage demands, allowing the tax costs to be distributed among employees and employers, which will only further burden the budgets of service providers.

In the commercial services sector, in turn, it will certainly increase the prices paid by patients. Unless reasonable allowances and exclusions are introduced, these changes will worsen patients’ access to both publicly and commercially funded medical services.

The condition of the medical staff in Poland

More details about the medical staff in Poland can be found in the report sent to us by the vice president of NIL

«According to the OECD report, there are 1000 physicians per 2,4 inhabitants in Poland, which places us in one of the last positions in OECD countries. It is very disturbing that in the 17 years between 2000 and 2017 little has changed in this regard (approx. 3% increase in the number of doctors), while in other OECD countries the increase in the number of doctors per 1000 inhabitants reached 15-30%.

What is also striking in the report cited above is the small percentage of our country’s citizens working in health care (6%), while in the Scandinavian countries it is over 15%, in Western Europe 10-15%, and in the Mediterranean countries about 8%.

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Also incomprehensible is the remuneration of specialist doctors in relation to the national average. In 2017, it was 1.4 national average, in 2018 it was raised to the level of 1.6 national average after protests from residents by Minister Szumowski, to now constitute 1.3 the national average (according to the draft act on remuneration in health care prepared by the Minister of Health, Adam Niedzielski, it is to be 1.31 ).

Meanwhile, already in 2017 it was by far the lowest in Europe and now this difference is even deepening »- Artur Drobniak points out in the report.

«In other EU countries, the remuneration of a specialist doctor in relation to the national average in 2017 was: Spain 2.4, Italy 2.5, Denmark 2.6, Czech Republic 2,4, Hungary 2,5, Germany 3.5-5.4 depending on the sector, in Lithuania 1.7, Latvia 1.6 – only in the Baltic states were they slightly higher than in Poland ».

Among other things, the above issues reflect the poor staffing situation of doctors in Poland. Despite the announcement of a rapid increase in the number of doctors, objective data from the Central Register of Physicians do not indicate this.

«Conclusions from the above parameters clearly indicate:

– insufficient increase in the number of doctors in relation to the health needs of an aging society,

– despite the increase in the number of medical graduates, there is a gap in terms of entering the profession (external emigration / resignation from the profession of a doctor),

– the increasing risk of a system collapse as a result of an increasing percentage of retired doctors among practicing professionals,

– it should be taken into account that over 12 percent. doctors over 70 years of age cannot be treated as fully practicing physicians,

– if the current growth rate of the number of doctors in Poland is maintained, it is possible that within 30-35 years we will obtain the desired number of doctors for the Polish population »- enumerates the vice-president of the Supreme Medical Council.

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«Unfortunately, these data are not able to show other dangers posed by the current situation of the health care system for practicing the medical profession, which include:

– more and more frequent selection of profitable and legal risk specializations by young doctors,

– the risk of a further increase in the frequency of precautionary medicine decisions due to restrictive legal provisions imposing a high risk of legal consequences for doctors in the performance of daily professional activities,

– increasingly difficult working conditions – incl. increasing number of health services per 1 doctor, increasing number of patients under the care of a single doctor, increasing multidisciplinarity of health problems of Poles, increasing bureaucratic burden not related to the profession ».

Which hospital departments have been closed? Below is a list of facilities from individual provinces.

Closed hospital wards – what is the situation in voivodships?

Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Hospital departments suspended in the province. Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship:

1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics – District Hospital in Aleksandrów Kujawski, until September 15,
2. Department of Pediatrics – Poviat Obstetrics Hospital in Aleksandrów Kujawski, until September 15.

In both cases, the reasons include “staff shortages, low bed occupancy rate and the inability to obtain funds to adapt the ward to the requirements” – informs the voivode in response to a question from the Rynek Zdrowia website.

Hospital wards suspended – applications pending:

1. Stroke Treatment Department – Provincial Complex Hospital L. Rydygier in Toruń, until November 15,
2. Department of Neurology – Provincial Complex Hospital L. Rydygier in Toruń, until December 16,
3. Stroke Department – Regional Specialist Hospital dr Wł. Bieganski in Grudziądz, until 17 December,
4. Stroke Department – Multispecialist Hospital for them. Dr. L. Błażka in Inowrocław, until August 31,
5. Department of Internal Medicine and Nephrology – Provincial Specialist Hospital bl. Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko in Włocławek, until September 30,
6. Department of Neurology – Provincial Specialist Hospital bl. Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko in Włocławek, until September 30.

In all cases, the reasons for the suspension are “staff shortages”.

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Lubelskie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Suspended branches in the Lubelskie Voivodeship:

1. Department of Paediatrics – Zamojski Szpital Niepubliczny Sp. z o. o., until September 30,
2. Pediatric ward – Independent Public Healthcare Center in Międzyrzec Podlaski, until August 31,
3. Children’s department – Independent Public Healthcare Complex in Włodawa, until December 12.

The reason for closing all branches is staff shortages.

Lubuskie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Temporary cessation of medical activity applies to the following wards:

1. Gynecology, Obstetrics and Newborns Department Rooming-in – NZOZ Szpital im. prof. Zbigniew Religa w Słubice Sp. z o. o., until November 14,
2. Pediatric ward – SP ZOZ in Sulęcin, until August 31.

The voivode gives the reasons for “the inability to restore human resources” and “staff shortages”.

The information sent also reads that “At the request of the Multispecialist Provincial Hospital in Gorzów Wielkopolski, a limited liability company of a medical entity for the entry of changes in the Register of Entities Performing Medical Activities, the organizational unit was deleted”Intensive Care Bed Services – Driveway”(Gorzów Wlkp., Ul. Dekerta 1)». As Karol Zieleński, the Director of the Lubuskie Voivode’s Office, writes, “The provisions do not include the applicant’s indication of the reasons for the liquidation of organizational units (branches) or the reasons for limiting their activities”.

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Łódzkie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Hospitals where medical activity has been temporarily discontinued:

1. Pediatric ward – Kutnowski Szpital Samorządowy Sp. z o. o. in Kutno, until September 1,
2. Pediatric ward – Szpitale Powiatowy Sp. oo – Hospital in Łask, until August 29,
3. Obstetrics and Gynecology Department – Szpitale Powiatowy Sp. oo – Hospital in Łask, October 31,
4. Department of General Surgery – Szpitale Powiatowy Sp. oo – Hospital in Łask, until October 31,
5. Department of Maxillary Surgery and Laryngology d- Szpitale Powiatowy Sp. oo – Hospital in Łask, until October 31,
6. Department of Internal Medicine – Powiatowy Centrum Medyczne Sp. z o. o. NZOZ in Wieruszów, until August 31,
7. Children’s Ward with the Admission Room – District Hospital in Radomsko, until September 30.

According to information sent to us by the press office of the voivodeship governor of Łódź, in Kutno, Wieruszów, Radomsko, and in the case of general surgery and maxillary surgery departments of the hospital in Łask, the reason for closing is “staff shortages”, in the other two departments of the Łask hospital – “the need to carry out renovation and disinfection works ».

Departments and hospitals where it is planned to suspend medical activities:

1. Operating block – Provincial Multidisciplinary Center of Oncology and Traumatology named after M. Kopernika in Łódź, 27-31 August,
2. Hospital emergency ward – Provincial Multispecialist Center of Oncology and Traumatology M. Kopernika in Łódź, November 12 – 15,
3. Department of Procedural Pediatrics – Provincial Multispecialist Center of Oncology and Traumatology M. Kopernika in Łódź, November 12 – 15,
4. Surgery Department – Provincial Multispecialist Center of Oncology and Traumatology M. Kopernika in Łódź, November 12 – 15,
5. Department of Otolaryngology – Provincial Multispecialist Center of Oncology and Traumatology M. Kopernika in Łódź, November 12 – 15,
6. Children’s Urology Department – Provincial Multispecialist Center of Oncology and Traumatology M. Kopernika in Łódź, November 12 – 15,
7. Department of Cardiology – Provincial Multispecialist Center of Oncology and Traumatology M. Kopernika in Łódź, 19-22 November,
8. Angiography Laboratory – Provincial Multidisciplinary Center of Oncology and Traumatology named after M. Kopernika in Łódź, 19-22 November,
9. Operational Route – Independent Public Healthcare Center in Wieluń, from 3 to 5 September.

In the hospital in Lodz, the planned temporary closure is caused by the “necessity to carry out periodic cleaning and disinfection of air conditioning systems”, in WIeluń, similarly, there will be “cleaning and disinfection of ventilation”.

Małopolskie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

At present there is no. In the information sent by Dr. Joanna Paździo, the spokesman of the Małopolska Voivode, we read: «Currently, there are no binding decisions of the Małopolska Voivode expressing consent to such cessation of activity in legal transactions. There were also no new requests in this regard ».

Mazowieckie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

In Mazovia, three hospital departments are excluded from activity, we have not received information in which specific hospitals.

«We would like to kindly inform you that the Mazowiecki Voivode issued decisions regarding the temporary cessation of the activities of organizational units in 2021 for three organizational units. The decisions were issued pursuant to Art. 34 section 1 point 2 and 1 of the Act of 15 April 2011 on medical activity (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 711, ie).

These departments have been temporarily suspended due to renovations and works related to the sanitary and epidemiological adjustment »- we read in the letter sent by the Press Team of the Mazovian Voivode.

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Opolskie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Due to staff shortages, three departments of the hospital in Namysłów were suspended from January. Such a state can be extended for a maximum of six months, another extension was not an option, therefore contracts with the National Health Fund were terminated on June 30.

Suspended branches in the Opolskie Voivodeship:

1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics – Poviat hospital in Namysłów,
2. Neonatal Department – Poviat hospital in Namysłów,
3. Children’s department – County hospital in Namysłów.

It should be added, however, that on July 1 a new gynecological ward operates in the hospital in Namysłów, but without obstetrics.

Podkarpackie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Suspended branches in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship:

1. Pediatric ward – Independent Public Healthcare Complex in Sanok, until September 30,
2. Observation and Infection and Liver Diseases Department – Healthcare Team in Dębica, from July,
3. Surgical Department – Independent Public Healthcare Complex in Nowa Dęba, until August 12.

In all cases, the reason for closure is renovation and modernization.

Pomorskie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Suspended branches in the Pomeranian Voivodeship:

1. Pediatric ward – Szpital Pucki Sp. z o. o., until November 30,
2. Obstetrics and Gynecology Department – Szpital Pucki Sp. z o. o., until November 30,
3. Neonatology department – Szpital Pucki Sp. z o. o., until November 30,
4. Pediatric ward – ZDROWIE Sp. z o. o. in Kwidzyn, until October 31,
5. Department of Pediatric Surgery – Pomorskie hospitals sp. Zoo (unit in Gdynia), until August 31,
6. Otolaryngology department – Pomorskie hospitals sp. Zoo (unit in Wejherowo), until December 31,
7. Department of Internal Medicine – County Health Center sp. Z oo in Kartuzy, until August 15th.

The reasons for closing the branches are renovation and adaptation works.

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Śląskie Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

In Silesia, a dozen or so hospital departments have suspended their activities, in the case of another six, the case is pending – writes the Rynek Zdrowia website.

Suspended hospital wards in the Silesian Voivodeship:

1. Department of Laryngology -Voivodeship Specialist Hospital No.2 in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, until August 31,
2. Pediatric ward – Complex of Healthcare Institutions in Cieszyn, until August 31,
3. Department of General Gastroenterology and Oncology with the Sub-Department of Internal Medicine – WSS im. Blessed Virgin Mary in Częstochowa, until November 30,
4. Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology – SPZOZ WSS No. 3 in Rybnik, until October 31,
5. Pediatric ward – SPZOZ WSS No. 3 in Rybnik, until August 31,
6. Department of Internal Medicine – II Sosnowiecki Szpital Miejski Sp. z o. o. in Sosnowiec, until September 20,
7. Oncology Department, Admission Room, Oncological Surgery Department, Operating Room – Specjalistyczny Szpital Onkologiczny NU-MED Sp. z o. o. in Częstochowa, from July 1,
8. Department of Otolaryngology – SPZOZ Provincial Specialist Hospital No.3 in Rybnik, until August 31,
9. Neonatology Department – Multispecialist Hospital in Jaworzno, until October 10,
10. Rehabilitation Department – Multispecialist Hospital in Jaworzno, until October 10,
11. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics – Multispecialist Hospital in Jaworzno, until October 10,
12. Internal Medicine Department I with the Nephrology Division – SPZOZ WSS No. 3 in Rybnik, until August 31.

In most cases, the reasons are staff shortages or a disagreement between the hospital management and doctors and residents about remuneration. The Częstochowa Specialist Oncology Hospital informs on its website about the “reorganization” reasons.

Branches suspended – cases pending:

1. Psychiatric Ward – SPZOZ Psychiatric Hospital in Toszek, to October 31
2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy GCM im. prof. Leszek Giec – ŚUM in Katowice, until August 31,
3. Department of Otolaryngology – ZOZ w Świętochłowice Sp. z o. o., from July 7,
4. VIII Internal Medicine Department – SPZOZ Psychiatric Hospital in Toszek, until August 31,
5. Internal Medicine Department – St. Józefa Sp. z o. o. in Mikołów, until October 31,
6. Children’s Department – District Complex of Healthcare Institutions in Czeladź, until October 31.

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Currently, eight hospital departments are closed:

1. Neurology department with a stroke unit, stroke unit of the Neurology department – Provincial Integrated Hospital in Elbląg, until September 30,
2. Department of Internal Medicine – Poviat Hospital sp z oo in Pasłęk, until August 31,
3. Pediatric ward with an endocrinology sub-unit – St. John Paul II in Elbląg, until September 5,
4. Obstetrics and Gynecology Department with a neonatal department – St. John Paul II in Elbląg, until October 31,
5. Neurology department with a stroke unit – I Military Clinical Hospital with a polyclinic, Independent Public Healthcare Center in Lublin – branch in Ełk, until November 30, 
6. Department of Internal Medicine – County Hospital in Kętrzyn, until August 31,
7. Department of Internal Medicine – Healthcare Complex in Lidzbark Warmiński, until August 31, 
8. Surgical Department – Poviat Hospital in Nowy Mieście Lubawskie Sp. z o. o., until February 28, 2022.

The hospital in Pasłęk is under renovation, in other cases the reason for closure is “the problem with completing the medical staff”.

West Pomeranian Voivodeship – closed hospital wards

Temporary discontinuation of health services from June 1, 2021 applies to:

1. Department of Cardiology and Department of Intensive Cardiac Surveillanceo – Szpitale Polskie SA with headquarters in Katowice, until August 31,
2. Vascular Surgery Department – Provincial Hospital for them. M. Kopernika in Koszalin, until October 10,
3. Department of Dermatology – Provincial Hospital for them. M. Kopernika in Koszalin, until October 10,
4. Department of Venereology – Provincial Hospital for them. M. Kopernika in Koszalin, until October 10,
5. Department of Internal Medicine – SP ZOZ MSWiA in Koszalin, until August 31,
6. General Surgery Department – County Hospital in Pyrzyce, until August 31.

In all cases, the reason for closure is “lack of medical staff”.

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