Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has called for the immediate dismissal of the head of the National Health Fund (NFZ), Filip Nowak, citing poor management and systemic irregularities within Poland’s healthcare sector. This demand follows revelations of excessive physician earnings and procedural misconduct at the Szpital Południowy in Warsaw, prompting Prime Minister Donald Tusk to schedule high-level discussions with health officials for Tuesday.
Calls for leadership changes at the NFZ
Krzysztof Gawkowski stated in a TVN24 interview that the current state of healthcare management is inadequate. The Deputy Prime Minister argued that leadership must be held accountable for the sector’s performance, specifically mentioning that physician salaries now account for more than half of the NFZ budget. According to Gawkowski, the government should not wait for a resignation but should actively remove the fund’s president from his post.
Did You Know? More than 70 percent of physicians in Poland provide medical services under contract rather than traditional employment, a structure that currently lacks regulations regarding working hours.
The Szpital Południowy investigation
The pressure on health leadership stems from ongoing investigations into the Szpital Południowy. The Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office has launched two separate inquiries following reports of irregularities, including allegations that politicians were granted unauthorized priority access to the emergency department (SOR) and that a dedicated room was set aside for their use.
Public scrutiny has focused on the reported earnings of physician and Koalicja Obywatelska (KO) councilor Dawid Kacprzyk. Documents indicate he recorded 3,976 working hours at the facility in 2025, averaging roughly 11 hours per day every single day of the year, for a total of 1.6 million PLN. Emil Jędrzejewski, the former head of surgery at the hospital, has acted as a whistleblower, alleging that patient care was compromised and that documentation was falsified.
Expert Insight: The intersection of high-earning contract roles and potential oversight failures at the hospital level highlights a significant tension in the public healthcare system. The call for administrative accountability suggests that the government is looking to address systemic gaps in how contract-based work is monitored and how hospital resources are allocated.
What happens next in the healthcare investigation?
Prime Minister Donald Tusk is set to meet with NFZ head Filip Nowak and Minister of Health Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda on Tuesday to discuss the future of the fund. This meeting is expected to focus on systemic solutions to address the reported irregularities, such as the lack of time-tracking for contract-based medical staff and the nature of high-cost contracts.
Simultaneously, the legal process is advancing. Prosecutor Piotr Skiba confirmed that authorities have recently questioned Emil Jędrzejewski, a move that will require the collection of further medical documentation. The prosecutor also noted that Dawid Kacprzyk has submitted a substantial volume of material to the office for review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Deputy Prime Minister calling for the removal of the NFZ head?
Krzysztof Gawkowski cited poor management and the fact that physician salaries consume over 50 percent of the NFZ budget as primary reasons for his call to dismiss Filip Nowak.
What are the specific allegations regarding the Szpital Południowy?
Allegations include the existence of a special room for politicians, preferential treatment for those politicians in the emergency department, and claims by a whistleblower that medical errors and falsified records occurred under the supervision of Dawid Kacprzyk.
What is the difference between employment contracts and the contracts held by most doctors?
Physicians working on standard employment contracts are subject to labor law limitations on working hours. However, over 70 percent of physicians operate on private contracts, which do not contain similar regulations regarding time limits.
How should the government balance the need for specialized medical labor with the requirement for transparent oversight of public funds?
