About 40 percent of Poles paid for a doctor's visit last year with their own money. It turns out it's not because we feel private is better. In most cases, we decide to pay when we hear how long we have to wait to see a NHS specialist. And we already spend a lot – an average of PLN 80 per person per month.
– What is worrying? Undoubtedly, the number of people using non-governmental medical services is increasing – warns Klara Klinger, editor-in-chief of the website rybzdrowie.pl. A visit to the doctor – instead of the National Health Fund – is becoming more private. Last year, 40 percent of Poles paid for their trips out of their own pockets.
– We have a very big deficiency in the system. We can go to a primary care doctor, in serious cases go to the emergency room, but when it comes to specialist doctors – let's call it by name – most of them are a disaster – notes Aleksandra Kurovska, editor-in-chief of the portal cowzdrowiu.pl.
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Patients fill the gaps in the system with their own money. 90% of expenses for specialist treatment are funded outside the National Health Fund. Families with young children and those from larger cities with larger budgets are more likely to pay for private treatment. But everyone is spending more money than in previous years – on average, each person spends PLN 80 per month on health care.
Households using health services that are not financed by the National Health Fund (NFZGUS).
– Politicians in Poland guaranteed a package of benefits, but in reality there is no guarantee here. Only queues are guaranteed – notes Krzysztof Landa from the Watch Health Care Foundation.
The main reasons
Queues are the main reason why patients prefer to pay instead of waiting. The feature just means faster. Interestingly, it is not better. Only 11 percent of patients believe that a private specialist is a better specialist.
The main reasons for using medical services financed by the National Health Fund (NFZGUS).
– Little or no access to public health services. The health care system abdicated. There are no signs that the situation is improving, and in fact, every year the number of people using private care is increasing – admits Lukasz Jankowski, president of the Supreme Medical Council.
People with cancer often do not know what to do next. A special service was created: Marek Nowicki/Fakty TVN
How to increase access?
It is patients with thyroid disease, coronary heart disease and depression who are often told that they should be treated privately.
– If someone is depressed, if someone suddenly loses hair, swells and is suspected of thyroid disease, he cannot wait 8-10 months for specialists, – emphasizes Alexandra Kurovska. – The need for psychological help is increasing, and the availability of psychologists is not increasing, on the contrary – it is decreasing – warns Clara Klinger.
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The system fails, so the patient pays. – Focus on increasing accessibility through simple solutions, such as electronic registration, so that the patient can see where the queue is the shortest and where to register and see a specialist, – suggests Lukasz Jankowski.
Last year, patients did not cancel more than one million visits. These visits disappeared.
Main photo source: Fact TVN
