In the financial perspective 2021-2027, investment of European funds in the health system remains one of our priorities. This support responds to key challenges and reform needs that have been identified at EU and national level, said the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy,

Grzegorz Puda at the opening of the Academy of Funds in Warsaw. 

National and EU funds help us to implement our reforms and modernise primary health care (PHC). Through them we are raising standards and creating a patient-friendly system,

emphasised the Minister of Health, Adam Niedzielski.

Man should be at the heart of any support - both in terms of personnel and a patient who faces a particularly vulnerable situation. That is why we want to support not only the infrastructure that makes it possible to provide the best and fastest assistance, but also to raise the competence of emergency service personnel,

highlighted the deputy minister of the MFiPR, Marcin Horała.

On 30 June 2022, the negotiations of the Partnership Agreement between the European Commission and the Polish government were concluded. A new financial perspective is ahead of us, which was officially launched on 8 February 2023 at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Health care was one of the most challenging areas in the negotiations with the EC.

Support instruments in the area of health care are available in both national and regional programmes. They include measures to strengthen the digitalisation process, the development of research activity but also infrastructural support and training of health care system personnel, the head of the MFiPR added.

Support from regional programmes for health care in the new 2021-2027 perspective

The health sector is an important part of the regional programmes, further supplemented by funds from the React-EU instrument following the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

The marshals of the voivodeships have already allocated a total of almost PLN 8.5 billion from the European Regional Development Fund in the 2014-2020 financial perspective to support this area, including PLN 8 billion to support healthcare infrastructure and PLN 499 million to support IT and e-health. 
Owing to these measures:

• the total of 938 health care infrastructure projects and 398 IT and e-health projects were implemented, 
• 937 medical establishments were supported, of which 365 establishments were supported in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic,
• as part of the COVID-19 outbreak support, 974 ventilators, 117 ambulances and emergency response vehicles were purchased and additional bed space was created for 1168 COVID-19 patients,
• 1 670 online public services with a maturity level of 3 or higher were made available.

In the new financial perspective for 2021-2027, the support in regional programmes from the European Regional Development Fund for the health sector will amount to at least PLN 4.3 billion. In particular, the marshals of the voivodeships will support the strengthening of the role of primary health care (POZ) and outpatient specialised care (AOS) in the health care system. They will also strive to improve accessibility to health care establishments and supplement the national support focusing on the reform of psychiatry. In addition, approx. PLN 0.8 billion will be allocated to support e-health projects planned for implementation as part of the funds earmarked for digitalisation. 

Co-funding of the health sector from national programmes

1) European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment (FEnIKS) - support for primary health care (PHC) units under the programme

• The FEnIKS support in the area of health care responds to key challenges and reform needs that have been identified at the EU and national level. 
• The activities will be oriented to:

1. strengthening the role of primary health care units and outpatient specialised care, including better coordination of health services in particular in the scope of psychiatric care;
2. increasing the access to health care by strengthening the diagnostic functions;
3. support to the open treatment model, including through the development of the so-called "one day" treatment provision.
4. infrastructural investments in the development of PHC, including the digitisation of establishments and the development of telemedicine, retrofitting and civil works, will aim to support entities in adapting to provide new health care functions. 

• The support will be addressed to all healthcare providers holding a contract with the National Health Fund for the provision of services in the framework of PHC.
•  An area requiring particular support from the FEniKS funds is psychiatry, both for children and adolescents and adults. All levels of care covered by the psychiatry reform will be addressed. 

2) European Funds for the Modern Economy (FENG) - scope of support for representatives of the medical sector

• The European Funds for the Modern Economy (FENG) programme is an attractive new offer for entrepreneurs who intend to carry out innovative projects.
• In recognition of the importance of cooperation between the scientific and business sectors in the development of research, the Programme has also prepared an offer of support for joint research projects for entrepreneurs and research organisations to enable them the development of innovative ideas and a modern research and development infrastructure. 
• The Programme's offer is addressed, among others, to enterprises, the scientific sector, consortia of entrepreneurs and consortia of entrepreneurs with research organisations, business environment institutions, i.e. entrepreneurship centres, innovation centres, financial institutions.
• Medical and healthcare companies can apply for funding under all available support instruments in the FENG.
• The FENG will support projects that are in line with the National Smart Specialisations (NSS). Among these, the thematic area of NSS 1 is included:  Healthy society. 
• This will enable research issues relating to the pharmaceutical sector to be included in projects that will be eligible to compete with the FENG. 

Scope of NSS 1. Healthy Society comprises:

• new products and technologies,
• disease diagnosis and therapy,
• product manufacturing.

3) European Funds for Social Development (FERS) - Training of health professionals

• Support in the total amount of EUR 87 million for AOS (outpatient specialised care) providers in the European Funds for Social Development 2021-2027 programme will focus on improving their accessibility.
•  An accessibility standard will be developed and piloted in specialist outpatient care providers. Due of their specialised services, these entities also need specific standards. 
• Under the project, the development of accessibility standards and their implementation in 250 entities is planned, as well as training for the employees of these entities in the scope of treatment of patients with special needs.
• The training of broadly understood medical staff is one of the priority areas for ESF+ support in the new financial perspective. Due to the nationwide nature of the challenge to provide an adequate number of highly qualified medical staff for the health needs of the Polish society, support for medical education is planned in the national programme under the European Funds for Social Development 2021-2027.
• We will allocate up to EUR 302 million in the FERS programme to enhance the skills of medical professionals through postgraduate training.

4) European Funds for Digital Development (FERC)

• The support from the European Funds for Digital Development 2021-2027 programme will cover further development of public e-services in the area of health accessible via the Internet Patient Account. Projects developing telemedicine services will also be supported.

5) European Funds for Eastern Poland (EFEP) - support for the medical sector

• Under the European Funds for Eastern Poland programme, entrepreneurs from this macro-region can rely on support. This also applies to medical professionals. 

6) Interreg

• Poland participates in 11 Interreg programmes, which are part of the cohesion policy. They enable implementation of projects in international partnerships. The activities that can be implemented in the field of health are usually soft but some programmes also allow for projects of an infrastructural nature.
• On the eastern border, the focus is on the Interreg Poland-Ukraine programme. It has a separate health priority axis with a budget of almost EUR 50 million.