Anna Calls From 116 117: NFZ Visit Reminders Explained
Short answer: Since 1 Oct 2026 central e-registration can phone patients from 116 117, 7 days and 1 day before a visit. Anna lets you confirm or cancel, never asks for PESEL or payment.
Since 1 October 2026, patients who book through Poland's central e-registration system can get an automated phone call reminding them of an upcoming appointment. The caller is a virtual assistant called Anna, and the call comes from the number 116 117. If you have a Polish landline number on your booking, or you just want to know what a real call from the system sounds like, this guide explains what the Ministry of Health and the Centre for e-Health say about it.
What the calls are
According to the Ministry of Health's announcement of 2 October 2026, patients using central e-registration can get phone reminders about scheduled visits. Anna calls 7 days and 1 day before the appointment. During the call the patient gets the key details of the visit and can confirm it or cancel it.
The Ministry says the solution matters most for people who do not use the internet, a smartphone, the Internet Patient Account (IKP) or the mojeIKP app. Voice calls also let patients with a landline get a reminder.
Who gets a call
Rynek Zdrowia, reporting on 16 October 2026 and quoting the Centre for e-Health (CeZ), writes that Anna calls patients who do not receive electronic reminders. She calls those who gave a landline number when registering at the clinic. The incoming call shows the number 116 117. The Ministry therefore asks patients to give the clinic a current landline number where they can be reached. The sources do not say whether mobile numbers can also receive these calls, so do not assume that they will.
How a call goes
According to Rynek Zdrowia and the CeZ, the assistant first checks that it reached the right patient. It says at the start that it is an automated system and that the call is recorded. After you confirm your identity it gives:
- the date,
- the time,
- the type of visit or service,
- the name of the clinic.
You then say whether you will come or want to cancel. The result goes into the central e-registration system, and the slot you free can be used by another patient.
If you do not answer
Not answering does not cancel the visit. The Ministry states that your appointment stays valid. Rynek Zdrowia adds that when Anna does not reach you or gets no clear decision, this does not automatically cancel the visit, and in some cases the system makes more contact attempts.
What Anna cannot do
The CeZ stresses that Anna is not a helpline. She follows a fixed script. On the call you cannot:
- book a new visit,
- move the visit to another date,
- ask extra questions, for example about preparation for a test,
- talk to a clinic employee,
- ask to be put through to an adviser.
To change a date or get extra information, you still have to contact the clinic directly.
* Photos: Landline-phone-Telrad-Connegy-star-kochav (CC0) and Old landline phone connection, Poland (CC0), both Wikimedia Commons, illustrative.
A safety rule for any call about your health
Fake calls about health and money exist everywhere. The Ministry says Anna does not ask for sensitive data such as the PESEL number or ID card details, and does not ask for any payment. The Centre for e-Health lists three things she never asks for: PESEL, an identity card number and an address. If a caller asks for them, or proposes handling matters beyond reminding and confirming a visit, the CeZ advises caution and ending the call.
Language
The sources reviewed describe the script only in Polish terms and do not say whether the assistant offers another language. If you do not speak Polish, ask the clinic at registration how you will get reminders, or whether it can send electronic ones.
What to do now
When you book a visit in the central system, check which phone number the clinic wrote down. If you want phone reminders on a landline, give a number you can answer. Keep the clinic's own phone number in your phone, because Anna cannot change anything for you.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 116 117 calling me?
If you booked a visit through central e-registration and left a landline number, the call may be the automated reminder from the virtual assistant Anna. The Ministry of Health says calls come from 116 117 and take place 7 days and 1 day before the visit.
Does the call ask for my PESEL?
No. According to the Ministry of Health, the assistant does not ask for a PESEL number, ID card data, an address or a payment. If a caller asks for these, end the call.
What if I miss the call?
Your appointment stays in place. The Ministry says an unanswered call does not cancel the visit, so the appointment remains valid unless you cancel it.
