Health ministry plans early-November order on mental health centres, weighs transition period into 2027

In brief

• The Ministry of Health says the National Health Fund order on mental health centres is planned for early November.
• The order is the last missing element of the adult psychiatry reform, due to become permanent on 1 January 2027 after an eight-year pilot.
• The ministry is considering a transition period through the first quarter of 2027 and says it does not mean abandoning the reform.
• The centres use a community model with care close to home and hospital stays kept short.

Order due in early November

The Ministry of Health told PAP that the National Health Fund president's order on mental health centres is planned for the beginning of November (Centra zdrowia psychicznego miały ruszyć systemowo od stycznia. Resort rozważa jednak okres przejściowy - PKB – pkb24.pl). The order is the last missing piece of the reform of adult psychiatry, which has been run as a pilot for eight years and was due to become a permanent system from 1 January 2027.

Possible transition period

The ministry is analysing whether to introduce a transitional period running through the first quarter of 2027. It says that such a step would not mean abandoning the reform.

What the centres do

The centres apply a community model of psychiatry. Help should be available close to where people live, and hospital stays should be as short as possible and used only when really necessary. Each adult living in a covered area can receive tailored care after registering.