Most Poles oppose doctors working in both public and private sectors - poll
More than half of Poles believe doctors should not be allowed to work simultaneously in both public and private healthcare facilities, according to a recent poll.
The IBRiS survey for the daily Rzeczpospolita published on Friday found that 53.5 percent of respondents opposed combining work in the public and private healthcare sectors. In comparison, 40.6 percent supported allowing doctors to work in both. The remaining 5.9 percent had no opinion on the matter.
The debate over separating public and private healthcare has recently gained momentum, with several political parties calling for such a move. However, healthcare expert Wojciech Wisniewski told Rzeczpospolita that no one has yet explained how such a system would work in practice.
Hospital directors have expressed concerns that a full separation could worsen staff shortages, particularly in smaller towns, where doctors may opt to work exclusively in the better-paid private sector.
The study was conducted on June 10-11 on a representative sample of 1,067 respondents.
The debate over separating employment in the public and private healthcare sectors has intensified following the government's announcement of a package of healthcare reforms aimed at improving transparency and limiting systemic abuses.
The reforms were announced after media reports alleged irregularities at Warsaw's Southern Hospital, where the head of the Emergency Care Unit was accused of earning PLN 1.6 million (EUR 377,410) in 2025 while working at several medical facilities and arranging priority diagnostic tests for politicians from the ruling Civic Coalition (KO). (PAP)
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