"Unjustified abuse of the shortened legislative path." Local government on regulations regarding non-EU doctors

• The Supreme Medical Council demands the deletion of provisions regarding non-EU doctors from the draft law on aid for Ukraine
• According to the medical self-government, the government should not amend these regulations together with this act.
• The NRL argues that, unlike in the case of the need to extend the regulations resulting from the Act on Assistance to Ukrainians, there is no such time pressure in the case of provisions concerning the exercise of the medical profession
• - Including provisions amending the Act on the Professions of Physicians and Dentists in the draft act, which is indeed urgent in nature, is an unjustified abuse of the shortened legislative procedure - the local government assesses
• The government's project aims, among other things, to tighten the system for recognizing medical qualifications from outside the EU.

The Supreme Medical Council published its position on Friday regarding a draft law amending certain acts to verify the right to family benefits for foreigners and on the conditions for assistance to Ukrainian citizens in connection with the armed conflict in that country. It also includes proposed changes to the law on the medical and dental professions. These amendments concern the procedure for recognizing the right to practice medicine for Ukrainian citizens and other individuals who obtained qualifications outside the European Union.

According to the medical self-government , the government should not amend these regulations along with the law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens . The NRL also criticizes the provisions in the draft amendment.

He argues that, unlike in the case of the need to extend the regulations arising from the Act on Assistance to Ukrainians , there is no such time pressure in the case of the provisions of the Act on the Medical Profession (Article 3 and Article 12 of the draft).

"Adding provisions amending the Act on the Professions of Physicians and Dentists to the draft law, which is truly urgent, is an unjustified abuse of the shortened legislative process. The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council reminds that as of September 30, 2025, all rights of Ukrainian citizens under the Act on the Professions of Physicians and Dentists do not expire," the local government explained in its position.

Doctors emphasized that this proposal does not require an accelerated legislative procedure and therefore does not require public consultation of this project.

The NRL noted the government's explanations, which justified that the changes to the Act on the Professions of Physicians and Dentists are only intended to "tighten the so-called simplified system enabling the practice of the professions of physicians and dentists by Ukrainian citizens and other persons who obtained the qualifications of physicians or dentists outside the European Union."

According to the medical self-government, due to "the lack of urgency in introducing the proposed regulations, it would be justified for the Sejm to refrain from adopting an amendment to the Act on the professions of physician and dentist."

The Supreme Medical Council criticized not only the procedure for drafting the amendment, but also the proposals themselves. It believes that obtaining a license to practice medicine poses a risk to patient safety.

Medical Council on the threats

"The amendments to the Act on the Professions of Physicians and Dentists presented in the draft are inconsistent with the medical self-government's request to abolish both the so-called simplified procedures for acquiring the license to practice as a physician and a dentist. The provisions providing for simplified procedures for acquiring professional licenses by physicians were introduced into the legal system despite the medical self-government's objections. Simplified access to the professions of physician and dentist exempts from the requirement of nostrification of a medical diploma obtained abroad outside the European Union, and also exempts from the requirement to complete a postgraduate internship or pass a Polish language exam in terms of language proficiency needed to communicate with patients and provide healthcare services," the authors of the position note.

They also emphasized that currently, a certain group of people in Poland provide medical services only based on an administrative decision issued by the Minister of Health, without having obtained the right to practice medicine. According to the NRL , this means that although the medical profession is a profession of public trust, these individuals remain outside the medical professional self-government, are not bound by the Code of Medical Ethics, and are not accountable for their actions before a medical court.

The Supreme Medical Council also opposed the provisions regarding the recognition of professional qualifications of non-EU physicians, which were included in the law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens, which was vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki . In August, the President of the Supreme Medical Council asked the president to veto the law and undertake a legislative initiative that would completely eliminate the simplified procedures for obtaining the right to practice in Poland.

Following the veto, the local government declared success, but it turned out that the controversial provisions were retained in the president's legislative proposal submitted to the Sejm. Last week, the Speaker of the Sejm returned the bill to the Chancellery of the President due to formal deficiencies, so it is currently not being processed.

The current government bill includes proposals to tighten the system for simplified recognition of professional qualifications for non-EU physicians, which was introduced by the Ministry of Health due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent war in Ukraine. The changes allow for obtaining a conditional license to practice without the need for diploma recognition and final examinations.

The vote on the bill is scheduled for Friday in the Sejm.

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