Poles complain that they cannot see a doctor 0 8

Poles wait for a doctor's visit for an average of more than 4 months — the longest queues are for surgeons and endocrinologists, reports Radio Polska.

Among specialists, the longest wait is for a neurosurgeon and endocrinologist — 13 months, and for a gastroenterologist — 10 months. The shortest wait — a few days — is for a pediatrician, neonatologist, and gynecologist.

More than four months — this is the average time Poles wait for medical services. This is one of the data included in the latest report from the Watch Health Care Foundation for 2025.

The longest queues are for breast plastic surgery operations, while the shortest are for oncological radiotherapy. Among specialists, the longest wait is for a neurosurgeon and endocrinologist — 13 months, and for a gastroenterologist — 10 months. The shortest wait — a few days — is for a pediatrician, neonatologist, and gynecologist.

Patients note that getting to see a doctor is not easy:

— The queues are long, a month, two — it depends on the specialist.

— If I go to a doctor, it’s to a private one. I try to avoid queues when I can, but I still have to see a gastroenterologist privately.

— The hardest part is getting the first appointment; it takes the longest to wait for.

For diagnostic examinations, the average wait is almost 3 months, which is better than a year ago when the average wait time was more than 3 months.

At the same time, from the visit to a family doctor to the operation for the removal of varicose veins in the lower limbs takes more than 30 months, for knee joint prosthesis surgery — 25 months, and for treatment with an orthodontic appliance — more than 21 months.

The Ministry of Health of Poland has launched a central e-registration system for doctor appointments. In the first week of its operation, Poles registered for more than 84 thousand medical services. The system increases the availability of services: there are over 78 thousand available slots for cytology, more than 151 thousand for mammography, and about 30 thousand for a cardiologist appointment.

Currently, through the central e-registration, one can sign up for cytology, mammography, or the first consultation with a cardiologist. New medical institutions across Poland are gradually joining the program.

According to the rules of the National Health Fund (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia — NFZ), certain categories of citizens receive priority access to state-funded medical services. This means they can see a doctor faster than other patients.

Such individuals include:

• professional military personnel using the services of medical institutions subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense of Poland;

• alternative service soldiers;

• war veterans and individuals who participated in combat operations;

• employees of law enforcement agencies, military personnel, and veterans with at least 30% loss of working capacity due to injuries or trauma;

• activists of the anti-communist opposition and those repressed for political reasons;

• individuals deported for forced labor;

• individuals listed in the national waiting list for organ, tissue, or cell transplantation;

• people with disabilities or significant loss of working capacity who require constant care or assistance;

• pregnant women;

• honorary blood donors and distinguished donors of transplant materials;

• blood donors who have donated blood or its components at least three times (especially after COVID-19 during the epidemic threat);

• children under 18 years old diagnosed with a severe, incurable, or life-threatening illness (especially congenital or acquired during childbirth).

If a patient is entitled to priority service, the healthcare institution in Poland is obliged to accept them on the day of the request. If this is not possible for an official reason, the doctor must schedule the nearest possible date outside the general queue.

Emergency departments (SOR) operate on a different principle — assistance is first provided to those in life-threatening conditions.

For outpatient specialized care, according to NFZ regulations, a patient must be accepted within seven working days from the moment of receiving a referral.