English Section

Polish patient safety report reveals gaps in hospital incident reporting

18.09.2025 17:00
The latest report from Poland’s Patient Rights Ombudsman Bartłomiej Chmielowiec highlights serious problems in reporting adverse events in Polish hospitals.
Photo:  A Polish Patient Rights Ombudsman report reveals that while hospitals face significant gaps and staff fears in reporting medical errors, there is potential for improvement through corrective measures, monitoring, and anonymous reporting.
Photo: A Polish Patient Rights Ombudsman report reveals that while hospitals face significant gaps and staff fears in reporting medical errors, there is potential for improvement through corrective measures, monitoring, and anonymous reporting.Photo: @fedotov_vs/Unsplash.com/CC0

Although most facilities claim to maintain registers, as many as 60% report fewer than 50 cases per year, indicating systemic flaws, low staff awareness, and fear of professional or legal consequences.

The main barriers are staff emotions - fear, shame, and concern about law enforcement intervention - as well as a lack of standardized, effective procedures and tools for recording and analyzing medical errors.

Data is often collected on paper, and existing systems vary between hospitals, making it difficult to identify nationwide trends.

According to the Polish news outlet politykazdrowotna.pl, the report also notes some positive signs: 76% of hospitals issue corrective recommendations based on reports, over half monitor their effectiveness, and 63% allow anonymous reporting, partially alleviating staff fears.

The diversity of practices and tools across hospitals could serve as a starting point for implementing consistent and effective solutions nationwide.

(mp)

Source: X/@RzeczPacjenta/politykazdrowotna.pl