There was a proposal to retrain midwives as caregivers. "Can we afford to waste our skills?"
- Krzysztof Filipiak, Director of the Postgraduate Medical Education Center, proposed that due to demographic changes, midwives should be retrained as medical caregivers.
- - I hope it was clumsiness and not ignorance of competences or the level of professional independence - says Krystyna Ptok, president of the National Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives
- - Medical caregivers, although very much needed in the system, have a different role than independent physicians - says Mariola Łodzińska, president of the Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives
- The head of the OZZPiP reminds that she has repeatedly appealed for the launch of a supplementary nursing course for midwives at risk of losing their jobs
During the Health Market Forum, the director of the Postgraduate Medical Education Center , Krzysztof Filipiak, emphasized that the tasks of individual medical professions must result from the real situation of the health market and these professions.
"Training must be flexible in terms of retraining one professional group to perform the functions of another. Such a system must be developed nationwide for midwives, who will soon be over-recruited due to the current birth rate. Maternity wards are being closed, and midwives should be retrained as medical caregivers, coordinators, and nurses, " he explained.
- This statement is a faux pas - says Krystyna Ptok, chairwoman of the National Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives.
"We've already emphasized that Poland is a truly wealthy country, since we can afford to waste the skills of professional midwives while there's a shortage of nurses. And once again, we have proof that this is the case," she adds.
The head of OZZPiP reminds that the union has repeatedly appealed (the last time in September this year) to launch a supplementary nursing course for midwives at risk of losing their jobs.
"The course has been just a promise for months, and we were waiting for an immediate response from the Ministry of Health and the Medical Centre for Postgraduate Education. Unfortunately, little has happened in these nearly two months. I absolutely cannot understand a government that spends a fortune training medical professionals—midwives in this case—and then throws their skills away. I hope it was just clumsiness, and not ignorance of their competencies, the level of professional independence, and the associated responsibility," explains Ptok.
In the opinion of Mariola Łodzińska, president of the Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives, the words that midwives can replace medical caregivers should be treated "as a mistake".
- Besides, I spoke to the director immediately afterward, who explained it as a slip of the tongue - says Łodzińska.
She admits that midwives are indeed losing their jobs today, and the system's demand for this profession is decreasing. "Midwives have unique competencies; they are highly educated, independent physicians. They have the authority to provide specific preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitation services independently. Properly utilizing existing knowledge and equipping our colleagues with additional knowledge—in the area of long-term and palliative care—will provide significant support to the healthcare system," explains the head of the National Rehabilitation and Immunization Program (NRPIP).
"Medical caregivers, although very much needed in the system, have a different role than independent physicians. We are discussing the rapid launch of postgraduate education programs that will allow midwives to utilize their skills in new settings," adds Łodzińska.
As a reminder, Krzysztof Filipiak took over as director of the Center for Postgraduate Education (CMKP) on August 25, 2025. The new authorities were elected after amendments to the act on the center, which came into effect on January 1, 2025. Initially, the amendment aimed to transfer the education of nurses and midwives from the Center for Postgraduate Education for Nurses and Midwives to the CMKP.
Unexpectedly, after consultations on the project, the Ministry of Health changed the method for selecting the director. The move, revealed by Rynek Zdrowia, was described by the community as an " attack on the independence of the CMKP ."
- The planned change in the method of selecting the director of the Postgraduate Medical Education Center results from the need for the Minister of Health to regain control over the activities of the Center for Postgraduate Medical Education - the Ministry of Health explained at the time.
Previously, the head of the center was elected—as is the case with universities—by an electoral college composed of academic staff. The last election, under the previous rules, took place in August 2024. Professor Piotr Kryst was elected for the term from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2028.
The new law stipulates that a competition for a new director will be announced within two months of its effective date. This spring, the Ministry of Health received five applications.
The selection was made by a ministerial team, specified in the amendment, along with representatives of the Supreme Medical Chamber and the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives. During the parliamentary debate, the team's composition was also amended several times. Ultimately, the team omitted other medical professions also undergoing training at the CMKP—pharmacists, paramedics, laboratory diagnosticians, and physiotherapists.
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