Patients will breathe a sigh of relief. From July 1, the National Health Fund will increase funding for an important service

• The function of patient care coordinator has already been introduced in several thousand primary health care (PHC) clinics in Poland.
• - The coordinator is responsible for, among other things, organizing visits, monitoring test results and explaining medical recommendations - emphasize family doctors from the Zielona Góra Agreement.
• In a statement dated 23 June this year, they warned that primary healthcare clinics may have their allowance for financing the care coordinator function withdrawn from 1 July this year.
• The National Health Fund reassures doctors and patients: - The flat-rate fee for coordinated care will also apply after July 1 this year - Paweł Florek from the NFZ headquarters informed us.
• - We have already sent a special message to primary health care facilities in this regard - added the Fund representative.

As we have already reported, the Zielona Góra Agreement Federation, which brings together family doctors, warned on Monday (June 23) that primary health care clinics will be stripped of their allowance for financing the care coordinator function as of July 1 this year.

As a result, many clinics could be forced to abandon this form of help for patients, despite the documented benefits for all participants in the treatment process.

This organization appealed to the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund "to re-analyze the available data and make a decision enabling the continuation of financing the coordinator's function, which will contribute to further improvement of the quality of care and the efficiency of the system " - we read in the press release of Porozumienie Zielonogórskiego (PZ).

The role of a patient care coordinator has already been implemented in several thousand primary health care clinics across the country. The coordinator is responsible for, among other things, organizing visits, monitoring test results and explaining medical recommendations.

Thanks to the involvement of the coordinator, the treatment process becomes more transparent, faster and safer, which translates into tangible benefits for both patients and the entire healthcare system . Unfortunately, there is a real risk that the coordinator may disappear from primary healthcare facilities as early as July 1 - emphasize family doctors from the Zielona Góra Agreement.

As Paweł Florek, director of the Social Communication and Promotion Office at the National Health Fund Headquarters, informed us on Friday, June 27 , the lump sum for a coordinator in primary healthcare facilities that provide coordinated care will also apply after July 1 this year.

- We have already sent a special message to primary health care facilities on this matter - he added.

- Besides, there has never been any talk of discontinuing the financing of the coordinator in primary healthcare facilities that provide coordinated care. That is why I regret that some of the primary healthcare community resort to scaring patients and introducing completely unnecessary anxiety among primary healthcare facilities in the context of the coordinator's position - the NFZ representative noted.

The amount of financial resources for the coordinator, transferred monthly by the National Health Fund to primary healthcare facilities providing coordinated care, depends on the number of patients registered with a given primary healthcare facility. It amounts to a minimum of nearly PLN 7.3 thousand - said director Florek.

He also noted that from 1 July this year this amount will increase in accordance with the recommendation of the president of the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (AOTMiT).

Family doctors point out that in the traditional model, the patient reports to the family doctor, receives referrals for tests and to specialists, and then makes appointments and receives the results independently.

The lack of a central person overseeing subsequent stages of therapy often results in stress, uncertainty and delays in treatment as the patient tries to navigate the maze of procedures and deadlines. Often, they also do not report for further tests or consultations, which results in the deterioration of their health.

- emphasizes doctors from PZ.

The federation of family doctors reminds us that the care coordinator also has a logistical and organizational function. Thanks to his knowledge of medical procedures, he easily arranges tests, check-ups, reminds about the need to collect results and translates the recommendations of the family doctor. He also monitors the implementation of the therapeutic path and provides support in situations that are unclear to the patient.

In the case of people with diabetes, heart disease, hypertension or chronic kidney disease, the coordinator ensures, among other things, the timely completion of all necessary procedures, acting as a director who supervises the course of individual "scenes" of therapy.

- doctors from the Zielona Góra Agreement describe it vividly.

Coordinated care translates into shorter queues at clinics and a reduction in the number of hospitalizations

- The coordinator provides reliable support to the patient in everyday medical challenges . This allows family doctors to focus on making medical decisions, and not on the excess of administrative duties - explains Dr. Wojciech Pacholicki, family doctor and vice-president of Porozumienie Zielonogórskie.

He emphasizes that thanks to the work of care coordinators, patients save time, reduce stress and feel supported, which affects the comfort of treatment. In turn, a family doctor avoids excessive organizational duties, being able to devote more attention to key medical decisions.

The clinic, on the other hand, gains better work organization and resource optimization. From the point of view of the entire system, coordinated care translates into shorter queues for specialists and a reduction in costly hospitalizations , which in the long run translates into significant savings.

- emphasizes the Zielona Góra Agreement.

The coordinated care model, introduced in primary health care clinics from October 1, 2022 , has been very positively received by patients from the very beginning.

- In a survey conducted by our foundation in 2024, 91% of respondents confirmed that the coordinator significantly facilitated access to specialist tests and consultations, and 97% expressed satisfaction with the quality of support received - informs Magdalena Kołodziej , president of the My Pacjent Foundation.

- These clear conclusions show that the role of the coordinator is not only to improve the treatment process, but also to provide real support to the patient - which is why we appeal for maintaining this function - he adds.

Doctors remind us that the effectiveness of coordinated care also requires an active attitude of the patient. "Regular attendance at scheduled visits, reliable provision of information about health status and strict adherence to medical recommendations are of key importance," emphasize family doctors from the Zielona Góra Agreement.