Implementing the NRP in healthcare – Ministry of Health conference at WUM

A woman standing at a microphone, dressed in a dark suit. The woman has her hands clasped at stomach level. In the background there are the flags of Poland and the European Union and a navy-blue backdrop with the coat of arms and the inscription “Ministry of Health”.

During the conference “NRP in healthcare – investing today, transforming the healthcare system for years to come,” the scale and outcomes of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP) were summarized. As part of the program, 1,251 projects received funding totaling nearly PLN 18 billion. The funds were allocated, among other things, to infrastructure modernization, digital transformation, and support for the medical workforce. As emphasized by ministry representatives, this is a historic reform of the healthcare sector, with patients as its main beneficiar

The exceptional conference, organized by the Ministry of Health at our university, was attended by more than 800 participants, including hospital directors, representatives of medical universities, and entities implementing research and development projects from across Poland.

Record funding

Minister of Health Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda highlighted the importance and diversity of the projects implemented under the NRP.

“We can celebrate. PLN 18 billion from the NRP is a historically significant amount. These funds are transforming oncology, cardiology, long-term care, digitalization, research activity, and the development of medical staff,” said the minister. She added that the Council of Ministers had adopted a draft e-health act the previous day: “This is a great day for patients. We are building a new digital future – the e-DILO Card, e-konsylium (e-consultation), and the digitization of medical records will soon become a reality and serve patients, thanks to NRP funding. Poland is digitally innovative, and our solutions are among the best in Europe.”

The minister also thanked Deputy Minister Katarzyna Kacperczyk, who is responsible for implementing NRP-related tasks in the ministry, and the ministry team:

“Thanks to her determination and work, we can celebrate the fact that so many investments are already underway.”

Deputy Minister Kacperczyk emphasized that, for the first time, funding on such a scale reached not only highly specialized centers but also county and regional hospitals, which are the closest to patients in everyday care. She also noted that the most challenging element of the NRP was renegotiation:

“We had very little time. Today, we can talk about investments, but we must remember that the NRP also included reforms. I felt relief when the Prime Minister announced that the NRP had been unblocked, but after our first meeting with the European Commission, I learned that it had been unblocked everywhere except in healthcare, because reforms had not been implemented. We had to renegotiate every milestone; we were the only ministry that had to renegotiate everything and rebuild the NRP from scratch. There was enormous time pressure. We were constantly wondering whether hospitals would manage in time. A call for proposals had to be launched, evaluations carried out, and then hospitals had to implement the projects.”

The largest share of funding, amounting to PLN 5.2 billion, was allocated to oncology, PLN 2.5 billion to cardiology, and PLN 4 billion to the digital transformation of the healthcare system. Over 34% of NRP funds went to county hospitals, where patients most often receive first-line care. Another 30% was allocated to regional hospitals, also ensuring local distribution of funds.
Rector of WUM, Professor Rafał Krenke, reminded participants that the university is also one of the beneficiaries of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan:

“The University Clinical Center of WUM received PLN 75.5 million from the NRP. These funds are being used to purchase equipment for cardiology and for the modernization of the department of cardiac surgery and transplant surgery. Part of the funding is invested in IT, particularly in digital medical records systems and cybersecurity. As a university, WUM received PLN 190 million, which we are investing in modern education. The largest share has gone to Poland’s most advanced Center for Medical Simulation.”

Among the guests were also Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Monika Wielichowska and Member of Parliament and Chair of the Standing Subcommittee on Public Health Joanna Wicha, who read a letter on behalf of Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Marshal of the Sejm.

Discussions on investments

During the conference, ministry leadership and NRP beneficiaries discussed investments supporting the development of healthcare in Poland. Four panel sessions covered the following topics:

Infrastructure investments – from investment to patient benefits
Digitalization – the digital transformation of healthcare
Education, workforce, and science – investing in human capital
Research and development – from research to innovation in healthcare

Participants included ministry representatives, hospital directors, representatives of medical universities, and organizations involved in research and development projects. They shared their experiences, including key challenges and major successes in implementing NRP-funded initiatives.

Key figures of the NRP in healthcare

PLN 5.2 billion will be distributed among institutions within the National Oncology Network.
PLN 1.5 billion was allocated for long-term care and geriatrics in county hospitals.
PLN 2.65 billion will support hospitals within the National Cardiology Network.
PLN 4.3 billion will be used for digital transformation in hospitals and the e-Health Center.
PLN 3 billion will be spent on the development of medical staff, infrastructure, and student support.
PLN 1 billion was allocated for research in medical and health sciences.

A woman standing at media microphones, dressed in a dark suit, and a man standing next to her, dressed in a suit and holding a folder with the coat of arms in his hands. In the background there is a backdrop with the logos “National Recovery Plan”, “Ministry of Health”, and the European Union.

A conference hall with numerous cameras on tripods. In front of a backdrop with logos there are speakers, and in front of them a group of journalists and camera operators recording the event

A row of the audience seated in red auditorium chairs. Women and men are applauding, holding their hands raised in front of them. The people are dressed in formal clothing.

A woman standing on stage at a microphone, dressed in a dark suit. The woman is holding her hands clasped in front of her. In the background there are the flags of Poland and the European Union, as well as armchairs and a table with a bottle of water.

A woman standing at a microphone, dressed in a dark jacket and a light-colored blouse. The woman has her hands clasped in front of her. In the background there is a navy-blue backdrop with the coat of arms and the inscription “Ministry of Health” and the flags of Poland and the European Union.

A man standing at a microphone on stage, dressed in a suit. The man is holding a folder in his hands. In the background there are armchairs, a table, and the flags of Poland and the European Union.

An audience seated in rows of red auditorium chairs. Women and men are looking toward the stage, and some people are holding documents or notebooks on their laps.

A panel discussion on stage. Five people are seated in armchairs arranged in a semicircle. The woman on the left is holding a microphone, and the other participants are listening. In front of the participants there are tables with glasses of water, and in the background there are flags and an institutional backdrop.