Pakiet onkologiczny – w polskim systemie prawa medycznego (nowotwór polskiego systemu opieki zdrowotnej)

The oncology package is the common name of set of legal provisions seeking to advance standard care of cancer patient. Due to the fact that cancers are second most frequent cause of deaths in Poland, it was necessary to introduce new regulations which would improve early detection of cancers and ensure fast track therapy. Since the introduction of new provisions in scope of oncology package, in the public system of health care a new category of patients, that is patients waiting for cancer therapy (cancer patients), has emerged. The intention of the legislator was to make diagnosis for patients with suspected malignant tumours more available. Hence, such patients were given an opportunity to be entered onto separate waiting list (list of cancer patients). The key issue was also to set diagnostic and therapy process in order. Thus, a cancer diagnosis and therapy form was introduced and coordinator, who oversees therapy process, was appointed. Other organizational changes in the health care system included in oncology packet cover: determination of maximum period for performance of individual stages of diagnosis and therapy, as well as abolition of limits for funding cancer diagnosis and therapy. The oncology package introduces positive changes, however there are some drawbacks. The most questionable issue is separation of group of oncology patients on the basis of disease type and favouring them, as it may seem, at the expense of other patients.