Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 2, 2026
Who holds the health record in Poland?
In 2026, Poland scores 59 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 27th of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 12th to 42nd allowing for scoring error, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026.
The person has real controls inside a government or provider system. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is one record across your care (70 out of 100, against 38 for the typical country). No right falls below the typical country; the closest to it is your say over research use (46 out of 100, against 46 for the typical country).
Over 20 million Poles can see prescriptions, visits and documents in a national patient account and control specialist access, but 2026 vendor leaks hit millions.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 2, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Mixed band, 45 to 64
59/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 12th to 42nd, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 70 out of 100 in Poland; the typical country scores 40 to 45. The law gives a right to records and a free first copy, and the national patient account (IKP) shows prescriptions, referrals, visit history, NFZ payments and uploaded documents to 53% of citizens. An EC study finds lab results, discharge reports and images only partly available. Source: Sejm ELI, April 2, 2024, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Poland?
In 2026, you and the health system hold the keys to your health record in Poland. Control over who sees it scores 55 out of 100 in Poland; the typical country scores 30. Outside a few groups named in law, a clinician can see a patient's records only with consent given in the IKP or mojeIKP, limited in scope and time and revocable. Patients cannot block their family doctor, the record's author or emergency staff. Source: Sejm ELI, February 13, 2026, and the other sources below.
How does Poland compare?
In 2026, Poland scores 59 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Bulgaria (59 out of 100), United Kingdom (59 out of 100) and Luxembourg (59 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Bulgaria, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, the typical EU country and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
70
62 · 66 · 64
Control over who sees it20%
55
62 · 52 · 70
Privacy and security15%
46
55 · 56 · 54
One record across your care15%
70
70 · 62 · 54
Protection from sale and ads10%
54
50 · 60 · 54
Doctors see it when treating you10%
60
62 · 60 · 56
Your say over research use5%
46
44 · 64 · 46
Rules for AI in your care5%
54
50 · 55 · 50
Black dot: Poland. Hollow dots: Bulgaria, United Kingdom, Luxembourg (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Dashed teal line: the typical EU country. Overall: Poland 59 out of 100, the typical EU country 61. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Poland need to change to score higher?
Poland sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. Every right is at or above the typical country. The two with the most room to grow, weighted by how much each counts, are control over who sees it (55 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country) and privacy and security (46 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Control over who sees it: A way to say no to sharing (or to be asked first), a log you can read of who opened your record, and finer choices about who sees what. Together these put this right at 60 to 80 out of 100.
Privacy and security: A health data regulator that is independent and actually acts: it decides cases about health records, breaches must be reported, and fines are applied.
Which laws give health record rights in Poland?
Act on Patient Rights and the Patient Rights Ombudsman (2008): Right to records in paper or electronic form; free first copy; research use only without identifying data.
Act on the Health Care Information System (2011): Creates P1 and the IKP; mandatory electronic records; sets who may access records without consent.
Act on Personal Data Protection (2018): Polish GDPR implementing act; caps fines on public finance sector units at 100,000 zloty.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
36.5 2023 · 21st highest of 38 OECD countries
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
63.1 2023 · 27th highest of 38 OECD countries
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
20.6% 2023 · 23rd highest of 35 OECD countries
Record reaches private care?
yes
"visit history including privately paid care"
Real cases
June 24, 2026 · Rzecznik Praw Pacjenta (Patient Rights Ombudsman) Court backs ombudsman: closed clinic's records must still be released to patients
September 2, 2025 · Urząd Ochrony Danych Osobowych (UODO) Doctor reprimanded for leaving patient cards readable in a parked car
In 2026, Poland scored 59 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 27th of 198 countries and territories (could be 12th to 42nd), in the Mixed band. Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/poland/
The 22 sources for Poland
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Ustawa o prawach pacjenta i Rzeczniku Praw Pacjenta, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2024 poz. 581” [Act on Patient Rights and the Patient Rights Ombudsman, consolidated text Dz.U. 2024 item 581] our machine translation
Sejm ELI (law or regulation) · Title in Polish
Dated April 2, 2024 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ustawa o systemie informacji w ochronie zdrowia, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2026 poz. 208” [Act on the healthcare information system, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 208] our machine translation
Sejm ELI (law or regulation) · Title in Polish
Dated February 13, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Control over who sees it; One record across your care; Doctors see it when treating you; Your say over research use
“Kto ogladal nasze dane medyczne? Nocne wizyty na koncie pacjenta” [Who viewed our medical data? Night-time visits to the patient account] our machine translation
Gazeta Prawna (news) · Title in Polish
Dated September 21, 2023 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Po nowym wycieku danych medycznych PUODO zapowiada kontrole” [After a new medical data leak, the President of UODO announces inspections] our machine translation
UODO (regulator) · Title in Polish
Dated September 25, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Dodatkowe kontrole UODO w podmiotach sektora ochrony zdrowia” [Additional UODO inspections at entities in the healthcare sector] our machine translation
UODO (regulator) · Title in Polish
Dated September 16, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Niepowiadomienie o blednym wyslaniu dokumentu: kara 40 tys. zl dla Gyncentrum” [Failure to notify about a document sent in error: fine of PLN 40 thousand for Gyncentrum] our machine translation
UODO (regulator) · Title in Polish
Dated October 27, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ustawa o ochronie danych osobowych, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2019 poz. 1781” [Act on the Protection of Personal Data, consolidated text Dz.U. 2019 item 1781] our machine translation
Sejm ELI (law or regulation) · Title in Polish
Dated August 30, 2019 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Od 1 sierpnia centralna e-rejestracja rozszerza sie o kolejne swiadczenia” [From 1 August central e-registration expands to further services] our machine translation
ezdrowie.gov.pl (government guidance) · Title in Polish
No date recorded · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Pismo Prezesa UODO do Glownego Inspektora Farmaceutycznego, DKN.5101.480.2026” [Letter from the President of UODO to the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector, DKN.5101.480.2026] our machine translation
UODO (regulator) · Title in Polish
No date recorded · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ponad 900 milionow zlotych kar dla hurtowni farmaceutycznych” [Over 900 million zlotys in fines for pharmaceutical wholesalers] our machine translation
UOKiK (regulator) · Title in Polish
Dated September 21, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Wystapienie Prezesa UODO do Ministra Zdrowia i Ministra Nauki, DPNT.413.39.2025” [Address of the President of UODO to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Science, DPNT.413.39.2025] our machine translation
UODO (regulator) · Title in Polish
Dated September 1, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Wdrozenie EHDS w Polsce i rola Ministerstwa Zdrowia” [Implementation of the EHDS in Poland and the role of the Ministry of Health] our machine translation
MZ Departament e-Zdrowia, via UODO [Ministry of Health e-Health Department, via UODO] (government guidance) · Title in Polish
Dated March 25, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ustawa o badaniach klinicznych produktow leczniczych stosowanych u ludzi, Dz.U. 2023 poz. 605” [Act on clinical trials of medicinal products for human use, Dz.U. 2023 item 605] our machine translation
Sejm ELI (law or regulation) · Title in Polish
Dated March 9, 2023 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ustawa z dnia 3 lipca 2026 r. o systemach sztucznej inteligencji, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1003” [Act of 3 July 2026 on artificial intelligence systems, Dz.U. 2026 item 1003] our machine translation
Sejm ELI (law or regulation) · Title in Polish
Dated July 27, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ustawa o izbach lekarskich, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2021 poz. 1342” [Act on Medical Chambers, consolidated text Dz.U. 2021 item 1342] our machine translation
Sejm ELI (law or regulation) · Title in Polish
Dated June 25, 2021 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/poland/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
