Poland Caps Doctor Pay at NFZ-Funded Hospitals and Cuts Contract Transition to Six Months

Cabinet approval and salary limits

The Polish Council of Ministers adopted a package of five healthcare reform bills on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The core legislation (draft UD439) introduces salary caps for medical staff, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and physiotherapists, across all healthcare facilities operating under contracts with the National Health Fund (NFZ). These rules apply to both public and private entities, covering employment contracts as well as civil law and B2B arrangements. Under the framework, standard earnings are capped at eight times the national minimum wage, rising to 12 times the minimum wage for specialists conducting complex operations such as organ transplants or holding managerial posts. Civil law contracts are limited to a maximum hourly rate of 1/20 of the minimum wage, establishing a rate of 240 PLN gross per hour in 2026 and 247.50 PLN gross starting in January 2027. The bill also prohibits pay structures calculated as a direct percentage of NFZ procedure values.

Working hours and contract transition

The reform package restricts medical professionals to a combined maximum of two full-time positions across all employers and sets an upper limit of 320 working hours per month. In hospital settings, medical personnel must be employed for at least half of a full-time post, while contracting services through intermediary companies or foundations is prohibited. The legislation takes effect one month after its publication in the Journal of Laws (Dziennik Ustaw). Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced prior to the cabinet session that the transition window for existing contracts was reduced from 12 months to six months, while newly signed contracts must comply immediately upon enactment.

We decided with the minister to shorten the preparation time for all entities for this new system, and it will not be 12 months, but a maximum of six months.

Scandals and enforcement mechanisms

The measures respond to recent public controversies regarding excessive medical compensation and irregular duty rosters. Investigative reports by the outlet Zero.pl revealed that Dawid Kacprzyk, a resident doctor at Szpital Południowy in Warsaw, billed for continuous emergency ward shifts lasting up to 96 hours while operating an exclusive lounge for associates, prompting the resignations of two Warsaw deputy mayors. Prime Minister Donald Tusk cited official records showing an orthopedist in Grójec who collected 3.2 million PLN in a single year, a hospital that allocated 115% of its NFZ budget to payroll, and a doctor in Braniewo registered for 72 hours of work per calendar day. To monitor compliance and public expenditures, the government is expanding the NFZ oversight body to 400 auditor positions.

These competitions will be transparent, posted on a single platform. We will then be able to find out on what terms they were concluded, meaning which medic, for what funds, and for how many hours, will be employed in a given entity.

Additional healthcare measures

Beyond salary caps, the cabinet approved four companion health bills. Draft UD434 requires hospitals and clinics to publish all service competition tenders and bidder financial terms on a centralized online platform. Draft UD428 aligns Polish regulations with European Union standards and Court of Justice rulings by closing contribution loopholes on foreign pensions and establishing statutory recognition for Rare Disease Expert Centres (OECR). Draft UD421 extends the legal validity of the existing hospital network (PSZ) until mid-2029 to maintain stable financing during restructuring and consolidation. Draft UD435 introduces state-funded hepatitis C screening for penitentiary inmates and guarantees free HIV treatment for uninsured individuals.