The Ombudsman for Patients has submitted a report on the observance of patient rights in Poland to the government. The document provides a comprehensive diagnosis of the state of observance of patient rights in the health care system on the national territory in 2020.
In the reporting period, the Patient Ombudsman received 135,625 cases, signals and enquiries in writing, by e-mail and via the Patient Information Line operating on the toll-free telephone number 800 190 590.
Compared to 2019, the MPC Office has seen a significant increase in submissions. We received 57.5% more signals from patients. This is the largest increase in the Ombudsman's activity in recent years and is undoubtedly related to the epidemic situation caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The Ombudsman assessed the observance of patients' rights in 2020, which showed that the patient's right to health services was not respected to a high degree. This right is extremely important, reflecting the realisation of the fundamental right of every citizen to health protection contained in Article 68 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. Another patient right not respected to a medium degree was the right to medical records and the right to information about the state of health.
The Patients' Ombudsman, as in previous years, established a thematic priority for its activities. The year 2020 was dedicated to the problems of senior citizens. The epidemic situation prompted the Ombudsman's activities to set a second thematic priority - Challenges and problems of patients related to the COVID-19 epidemic. The report provides a summary of the activities undertaken in both areas.
The study also presents the results of the collaboration with the Council of Patient Organisations - non-governmental patient advocacy organisations, the Council of Experts - which includes medical authorities from various fields of medicine, and the Council of Young Experts, which is an advisory body in the field of mental health care.
The last part of the report was devoted to the protection of patients' health during the COVID-19 epidemic. This section presents the entire spectrum of the Ombudsman's activities from the patient's perspective, taking into account the changes that were taking place in the health care system. Examples of proceedings in cases violating patients' collective rights are presented, as well as a summary of signals reported to the Patient Helpline by type of service.
The report also presents selected systemic measures, among which the problem of limiting in-person visits by patients to Primary Health Care clinics, the lack of information about the possibility of obtaining health services or about the patient's place of hospitalisation is detailed. In addition, the problem of limiting visits to patients staying in hospitals was presented, as well as the challenges of perinatal care.
The report was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 21 July this year.
Source: medexpress.co.uk