Poland expands central e‑registration for specialist doctors to cut waiting lists

From 1 August 2023 Poland’s central e‑registration platform will allow patients to book first‑time appointments with a wide range of specialists—including angiologists, infectious disease doctors and neonatologists—through the Internet Patient Account or the mojeIKP app. The Ministry of Health says the move will increase transparency, let patients monitor waiting times and reduce missed appointments, as cancellations will be automatically offered to the next patient in line.

Data released on 24 July show the system has already facilitated 3.6 million specialist visits, with 2.1 million appointments still scheduled. Officials estimate about one million previously unused slots have been recovered, roughly half of them for cardiology services. Deputy Health Minister Tomasz Maciejewski emphasized that urgent and emergency cases will continue to bypass the e‑registration system and be admitted through existing emergency pathways. The government plans to extend central registration to all 39 specialist service categories by 2027 and to cover all outpatient specialist care by the end of 2029.