Waiting for spa treatment is simply a subject that has been stimulating emotions among Polish patients for years. Until recently, the sanatorium queues counted up to 2 years, which for many people with chronic diseases was a serious problem. Today, however, due to the introduction of fresh organisational solutions and the increase in the number of seats, the waiting time has decreased significantly. In any cases patients may go to turnus after three months.
Changes in the sanatorium system
The Social Insurance Institution and the National wellness Fund have in fresh years taken steps to improve the process of directing patients to spa treatment. Introduction electronic registration strategy for applicationswhich allows faster processing of documentation and more efficient management of the availability of places in sanatoriums.
According to NFZ data, in 2024 Polish sanatoriums were directed over 550 000 patients, which represents an increase by 15% compared to the erstwhile year. At the same time, the average waiting time was reduced from 18 to 6-8 months.
Why are the queues shortening?
Several factors have improved the situation:
- Development of sanatorium infrastructure – respective fresh centres have been built in fresh years and existing facilities have been modernised.
- Optimising the registration process – Digitalisation and better coordination between the NFZ and sanatoriums allowed for more efficient management of places.
- Increasing the number of specialists - additional posts in sanatoriums let more patients to be admitted at 1 time.
Thanks to these activities in any voivodships, specified as Kujawy-pomorskie or Opolskie, the time to wait for spa treatment is presently only 3-4 months.
Most popular sanatoriums in Poland
In Poland there is more than 100 spa centres, located in picturesque towns specified as Krynica-Zdrój, Ciechocinek, Kołobrzeg or Lądek-Zdrój. Each of these places offers specialized therapies, tailored to the needs of patients with various diseases.
The most commonly treated conditions are:
- respiratory disease,
- orthopaedic and rheumatological problems,
- cardiovascular disorders
- skin disorders.
In addition to wellness benefits, patients emphasise that treatment in the sanatorium besides allows relaxation and intellectual regeneration.
Who can benefit from spa treatment?
The treatment can be utilized by both working people and pensioners. Just make an appropriate request, which must be confirmed by your first contact doctor. The documentation is then sent to the NFZ, where it is assessed for the relevance of referral to spa treatment.
It is worth remembering that the costs of turnus in the sanatorium are partially reimbursed by the NFZ. Patient only covers accommodation and catering costswhich are from 10 to 30 PLN per day, depending on the standard room.
Sanatoriums as a way to improve health
Many patients stress that regular trips to sanatoriums have a crucial impact on their health. Treatments specified as saline baths, massages or inhalations aid fight chronic conditions and improve quality of life.
Jan, a 68-year-old pensioner from Krakow, says:
“For 5 years I have been going to a sanatorium in Busko-Zdrój. Thanks to regular turnus, the mobility of my joints improved considerably, and my back pain almost disappeared. erstwhile I heard that waiting time for another journey was only 3 months, I was very surprised.”
What can you do to usage a shorter term?
Those who want to leave rapidly for the sanatorium should:
- Make an application as shortly as possible – the earlier the papers go to the NFZ, the better the chances of faster processing.
- Check availability of seats on reserve lists – It happens that patients resign from leaving and their place may be taken by another person.
- Use commercial offers – any sanatoriums offer extra paid turnuses which are not covered by the NFZ refund, but are available almost immediately.
Continued here:
Three months waiting for the sanatorium? It's possible!
