The government has adopted a draft amendment to the Act on the National Oncology Network. “As a result, no patient will be deprived of oncological care”, assured Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz after Tuesday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers.

The government has changed the deadline for submitting data on oncology care provided within the National Oncology Network. It will be moved from 1 April 2024 to 1 April 2025. The National Health Fund will also have more time to reliably verify entities that provide oncology care.

“The Act on the National Oncology Network came into force last year, but our predecessors did not prepare implementing acts for this Act, did not prepare the full entry into force of all elements related to the good functioning of the Network”, said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and announced the postponement of the date of entry into force of some provisions of the National Oncology Network.

“In this way, we retain the possibility of using all oncological therapies in all hospitals which today provide this therapy. There will be no restrictions”, added Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The adopted solutions are dictated by the good of patients. Without changes to the regulations, from 1 April 2024, up to several hundred hospitals could lose the possibility of providing services to oncology patients.

“This will ensure oncological support in all hospitals in Poland. An estimated 7.5 thousand patients from 259 hospitals will be provided with care”, added Władysław Kosiniak – Kamysz.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the oncology network assumes a specific hierarchy of facilities. “At the first level hospital, there is accessibility to one procedure, e.g. surgical treatment; at the second level – to both: surgical treatment and radiotherapy. The highest level of reference is three treatments: surgical treatment, radio and chemotherapy”, he explained.

Adrian Andrzejewski