The actions undertaken by the Government are aimed at modernising and increasing the financing for healthcare. The clearest evidence of this is the adopted Healthcare Financing Act. Its goal is to accelerate the achievement of a previously defined healthcare expenditure level of 6 percent of the GDP and ensure that it is reached as soon as 2023. Changes also concern the path for further increase in expenditure until it reaches 7 percent of the GDP in 2027.

The Subfund for Modernisation of Healthcare Entities is a part of the Medical Fund

The Subfund for Modernisation of Healthcare Entities (SMHE) is a part of the Medical Fund. The Medical Fund is divided into 4 subfunds under which dedicated programmes and actions aimed at achieving the Fund’s goals have been and will be carried out:
•    The Subfund for Modernisation of Healthcare Entities
•    The Subfund for Strategic Infrastructure
•    The Subfund for Development of Preventive Healthcare
•    The Subfund for Therapies and Innovations

Main assumptions of the Subfund for Modernisation of Healthcare Entities

The SMHE will be implemented via Resolution of the Council of Ministers on adoption of the Investment Programme for Modernisation of Healthcare Entities. Grant applications will be selected via competitions organised and carried out by the Minister of Health. Financing will take the form of a specific purpose grant under an agreement concluded between the healthcare entity and the Ministry of Health. Entities which provide healthcare services financed from public resources will be eligible to apply for support.

Activities covered by the Subfund for Modernisation of Healthcare Entities

The pandemic does not subside. While preparing for the 4th wave, the Government is also working on accelerating the process of modernisation of hospitals in Poland. The first goal is modernisation of infrastructure. In the coming years, thanks to funds from the Polish Order and the EU, the expenditure towards this goal will increase. Activities covered by the SMHE include:
•    support for development of infrastructure for providing care and treatment services;
•    support for consolidation processes of healthcare entities;
•    support for medical rescue infrastructure;
•    replacement of hospital beds.

Improvement in the quality and availability of healthcare services by 2029

The SMHE will operate between 2021 and 2029. The first calls for applications are planned for the last quarter of 2021. At that point, we will allocate:
•    PLN 698 million towards development of infrastructure for providing care and treatment services – conversion of existing beds (wards) into long-term care beds;
•    PLN 126 million towards support for medical rescue – building and modernisation of landing pads/airfields near Emergency Departments (EDs);
•    PLN 129 million towards replacement of hospital beds.
Further calls will be announced successively in the upcoming years, and the target amount for the specified activities may be increased based on funds available under the Medical Fund (in total, nearly PLN 40 billion by 2029).

Over 170 healthcare entities to be modernised and provided with additional equipment

“We want for hospitals throughout Poland to serve people as best as possible. This is our promise and our goal, and the Hospital Modernisation Fund will help us greatly in fulfilling them,” continued the Prime Minister while presenting the assumptions of the programme.
Investment goals planned under the Subfund for Modernisation of Healthcare Entities include:
•    177 healthcare entities providing long-term care services modernised and provided with additional equipment.
•    60 healthcare entities providing geriatric medicine services modernised and provided with additional equipment.
•    15 thousand new beds created for long-term care.
•    1 thousand new beds created for geriatric medicine services.
•    90 thousand hospital beds, including 4.5 thousand intensive care beds, replaced.
•    387 State Medical Rescue units modernised and provided with additional equipment.
•    422 ambulances purchased.
•    22 Medical Air Rescue bases provided with new equipment.