The Ministry of Health is a policymaker and the regulatory body that is responsible for national health policy, major capital investments in healthcare, medical science and education, introducing regulations governing the functioning of the health care system. The competences of the Ministry of Health include: providing equal access to health care services financed from public funds, regulating organisation and functioning of universal health insurance by issuing ordinances based on statutory delegation, as well as financing of selected highly specialist health care services and selected public health programmes.

The Ministry of Health performs the following tasks as a part of services rendered for the Minister of Health:

• reimbursement of drugs, medical products and foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses;
• supervision and audit of entities providing health care services;
• supervision of performance of medical professions;
• development and coordination of implementation of health programmes;
• organisation and supervision of the National Medical Emergency Rescue system;
• performance of tasks connected with health resort treatment.

The Minister of Health takes part in developing the national policy in the field of health protection, and is responsible for its contents and implementation, through management of the health department of government administration. The Minister also fulfils tasks delegated to him by the Prime Minister and is a trustee of the 46th part of the national budget. The Minister initiates, draws up and carries out the government’s policy in the scope of protection of health, through i.a. preparing drafts of normative acts, cooperation with other members of the Council of Ministers, supervision of activities of the local government administration agencies and cooperation with medical professions’ self governments, social organisations and representatives of professional and creative communities.

The Minister supervises the Main Pharmaceutical Inspector, Main Sanitary Inspector, Chemical Substances Inspector, and the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products.

Moreover the Minister of Health supervises i.a. the National Health Fund (payer in the Polish healthcare system), Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (entity, which is responsible i.a. for setting the value of medical services), scientific institutions and Regional Blood Transfusion Centres.

It should be emphasized, that the Ministry of Health does not have competence for direct actions combating corruption and fraud in the health care system, but can minimize the risk of fraud and corruption by adopting regulations of universally binding law that are clear, coherent and promote transparency, and by activities supporting the development of anti-corruption culture.

More information: http://www.mz.gov.pl/en/