Patient Ombudsman in Poland: helpline 800 190 590 and how to complain
Short answer: Call 800 190 590 (22 688 05 00 from abroad) or write to the Patient Ombudsman about a breach of patient rights. A doctor's opinion can be challenged within 30 days at the Medical Commission.
If something goes wrong with your care in Poland, there is a free national helpline and a state office that deals with patients' complaints: the Rzecznik Praw Pacjenta (Patient Ombudsman). This guide sets out what the official pages of the Patient Ombudsman say about the helpline, how to ask the Ombudsman for help, and the 30-day right to object to a doctor's opinion. The pages used are undated, so the details are given as of 17 October 2026. Check the Ombudsman's website before you act, especially for opening hours, because two official pages describe them differently.
The helpline: 800 190 590
The Telephone Patient Information service (Telefoniczna Informacja Pacjenta, TIP) is a joint number of the Patient Ombudsman and the National Health Fund (NFZ). The number 800 190 590 is a free national line. For calls from abroad, and for people whose phones block 800 numbers, the Ombudsman gives a landline number: 22 688 05 00, charged at the operator's rate.
According to the Ombudsman's page, the staff of the Ombudsman's line can tell you:
* what rights you have as a patient, including in your own described case * what practical steps to take, and which institutions or offices you can complain to * how to complain about a suspected breach of patient rights * how the healthcare system works, and about special entitlements to care * how to seek compensation and damages * how to object to a doctor's opinion or ruling * how to report adverse reactions to medicines * how to get benefits from the Medical Events Compensation Fund, the Vaccination Fund and the Clinical Trials Fund
The NFZ staff on the same line can give you addresses of facilities with an NFZ contract, explain primary care rules, tell you where to get night, weekend and holiday help, and explain the European Health Insurance Card and the e-WUŚ system for checking your right to care.
The hours differ by page. The Ombudsman's contact and TIP pages say the line works around the clock, seven days a week. Another Ombudsman page says staff can be reached Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00. Because the pages disagree, treat the second as the safer assumption for talking to an adviser, and try outside those hours if you need to.
When to ask the Ombudsman for help
The Ombudsman's page lists cases that involve a breach of patient rights. Examples it gives are care given without due diligence, a doctor not giving you or your authorised person understandable information about your health and treatment, and trouble getting a copy of your medical records.
If you are not sure your rights were breached, you can call the helpline for advice. You can also write to the Ombudsman. The application should contain:
* your personal data, and, if the matter concerns another patient, that patient's personal data together with an authorisation to act on their behalf * the name of the healthcare provider the matter concerns * a description of what happened * the signature of the person submitting it
It can be sent by post to ul. Płocka 11/13, 01-231 Warszawa, by email to [email protected], through the ePUAP platform, or by fax to (22) 506 50 64.
What happens next
If your report points to possible irregularities, the Ombudsman opens an explanatory procedure to find out whether patient rights were breached. If they were, the Ombudsman sends the provider a statement with opinions or proposals on how to handle the case. Where the case requires it, the Ombudsman demands disciplinary proceedings or official sanctions against a named staff member, and may ask the supervising authority to apply the measures provided by law.
The pages do not mention paying a fee, and they do not promise compensation. For compensation routes, the helpline says it can explain the options.
Objecting to a doctor's opinion
Some opinions or rulings issued by a doctor affect your rights or duties under the law. The Ombudsman's examples are a certificate that you have no contraindications to certain treatment at a spa, and a ruling that there are contraindications to a mandatory vaccination.
If you disagree with such an opinion or ruling, and appeals are not regulated by other rules, you can lodge an objection with the Medical Commission (Komisja Lekarska) at the Patient Ombudsman. The objection must be filed within 30 days of the day the doctor issued the opinion or ruling about your health. The Ombudsman's website has practical information and a sample list of opinions that can be objected to.
What the pages do not say
The pages do not say whether staff speak English, whether complaints can be filed in English, or whether anything differs for foreigners. The helpline page says it informs people who want information about patient rights and the functioning of the health system in Poland, without restricting this to citizens. If language is a problem, ask a Polish speaker to help you write the application, and keep copies of everything you send.
* Photos: cover, antique rotary telephone (CC0, Wikimedia Commons); body, telephone in a museum in Kostroma (CC0, Wikimedia Commons). Illustrative.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Patient Ombudsman helpline number?
800 190 590, free within Poland. From abroad, or if 800 numbers are blocked on your phone, the Ombudsman gives 22 688 05 00.
Can I write to the Ombudsman by email?
Yes. The Ombudsman's page lists [email protected], post, ePUAP and fax. The application needs your data, the provider's name, a description and your signature.
How long do I have to object to a doctor's opinion?
30 days from the day the doctor issued the opinion or ruling, with an objection to the Medical Commission at the Ombudsman.
