Poland implements salary limits for doctors amid high earnings reports

Polish Deputy Health Minister Tomasz Maciejewski has stated that the number of doctors earning over 1 million PLN annually may reach several thousand, potentially representing more than 10 percent of the country's 143,000 practicing physicians. This figure significantly exceeds initial estimates, which suggested only a few hundred doctors reached such income levels.

The revelation comes as the Sejm passed legislation aimed at limiting physician earnings and working hours to address pay disparities and irregularities within the healthcare system. The new regulations include a proposed cap of 240 PLN per hour for certain medical services.

During Senate discussions, concerns were raised regarding the potential impact of these limits on emergency departments. Senator Waldemar Kraska questioned whether the Ministry of Health has a contingency plan if doctors move away from high-intensity hospital roles toward family medicine due to the new salary restrictions. The Ministry is currently awaiting comprehensive data from the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (AOTMiT) to precisely map the scale of these pay disparities.