A factual, regularly updated guide to the Patient Rights Act and the Patient Rights Ombudsman. No panic, no ideology — responsible and concrete.
"This act isn't a threat to honest practice — quite the opposite — it's a chance to prove it."
The act gives the Patient Rights Ombudsman new tools against practices that endanger health and have no grounding in current medical knowledge: public warnings, interim decisions ordering an immediate halt to such activities, participation in civil proceedings with rights similar to a prosecutor's, fines of up to PLN 1 million, and a public register of penalised entities.
The act does NOT ban homeopathy, herbalism, phytotherapy, massage, yoga, cosmetology, podiatry, acupuncture, or dietetics as such. The problem starts when someone attributes a therapeutic effect to an unproven method without scientific grounds, encourages abandoning conventional treatment, exploits a patient's fear, or impersonates a medical profession.
The line isn't drawn along industry lines, but along how you communicate with the client and patient — which is why this affects a much wider group than it might seem at first glance.
"Freedom of practice ends where a real threat to the patient's or client's health begins."
In practice, the risk applies to, among others:
Two entities in the same industry can end up on opposite sides of this line — depending solely on how they describe their work. That's why assessing on your own whether "this applies to me" is risky and usually requires an analysis tailored to your specific activity.
"Implementing the right legal and organisational solutions can reduce the risk of a fine reaching a million złoty to nearly zero."
Audit, legal opinions, consultations, and full support for entities operating in the industry.
Go to the practitioners' page →Your rights, how to enforce them, and where to find responsible practice.
Go to the patients' page →No. It regulates how they are presented to patients — the problem is attributing a therapeutic effect to them without scientific grounds, not their presence on the market as such.
There's no simple, universal answer — the act doesn't contain a closed list of banned practices. The assessment depends on the specific wording and the overall communication, which is why it requires an analysis tailored to the specific situation.
A public warning, an interim decision ordering an immediate halt to the practice, and a financial penalty — up to PLN 1 million for violating patients' collective rights or engaging in pseudo-medical practices. The act also provides for separate penalties for failing to provide documents to the Ombudsman, and personal liability for the head of the medical entity.
The act is currently before the Senate. After any amendments, it will go to the President for signature and publication in the Journal of Laws — under the bill, it will come into force 3 months after publication.
It's worth getting legal advice on your situation — you can report the matter to the Patient Rights Ombudsman and, in some situations, pursue civil claims.
Yes — organising your documentation and communication takes time, and once the act is in force, inspections may begin quickly. Making changes now, calmly, is cheaper and safer than reacting under the pressure of proceedings.
The risk won't disappear — and not preparing in advance means that any inspection will find you without organised documentation and communication, which increases the risk of sanctions.
The direction of the regulation won't disappear along with this particular act — oversight of health communication and patient protection is growing regardless of its fate. Organised documentation and communication pay off anyway, because they protect against claims from clients and patients, UOKiK inspections, and loss of trust.
Mateusz Toruń I'm an attorney-at-law, creator of the Standards of Classical Homeopathy, and together with my wife Judyta Toruń, I co-create the Advisory Board for quality in classical homeopathy and Centrum Homeoterapii.
I care about patients and clients having access to reliable, responsible practice they can trust. I also want practitioners to be able to work with peace of mind and in line with the law, instead of living in uncertainty about whether they've crossed an invisible line.
Get to know me better → mateusztorun.pl
"In a reality where everyone is closely watching natural and complementary medicine, responsible practice becomes a sign of safety for patients. It's what sets mature practice apart from chaotic action."