All types of medical care are provided: primary (general medicine), secondary (specialised medicine) and tertiary (hospitalisation). Each prison has a dental service.
The average wait time to be seen by a specialist is 90 days. The wait time for a general practitioner is 14 days.
Inmates complain that all types of health problems are treated with basic medications.
Inmates do not always have access to necessary care. The treatments required are sometimes unavailable or considered too costly. Permission to be treated outside of the prison is difficult to obtain, whether it is to see a specialist or for a costly treatment.

The presence of medical staff is not always guaranteed at night. Emergency services are called if necessary. The CPT considers the number of full-time nurses and medical staff insufficient¹.

In 2016, the Commissioner for Human Rights pointed out the lack of doctors in prison settings. This shortage is particularly notable in remand centres and solitary detention. The problem tends to be exacerbated by holiday periods, especially during summer.

Health professionals are typically not qualified for the responsibilities entrusted to them. Inmates complain of the superficial nature of examinations and of the low quality of prescribed treatment.

The CPT reported a positive experience in the care unit of Strzelce Opolskie. The capacity of the unit is 64 individuals. The medical staff is made up of two psychologists, an occupational therapist and an instructor. The inmates benefit from a wide range of activities and individual therapies².

The NPM reports in 2022 that in the juvenile centre in Białystok, minors are allowed to be examined by an external general practitioner as there is none in the facility. Due to a lack of funding from the National Health Fund, it is not possible to have every juvenile who arrives without any symptoms of illness examined by a local GP. A full-time nurse works Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 3.30pm. He carries out the initial assessment on admission and examines the physical and mental state of each minor. He describes any illnesses, previous hospitalisations, medication, injuries, tattoos, etc. Routine examinations of the minors’ skin are also carried out. Any skin lesions found are reported to the head of establishment.³

13 hospitals and 37 specialised wings accommodate prisoners. The national ratio is 13 beds for 1000 inmates (two times higher than for the rest of the population).

Ongoing health care is guaranteed for the duration of the incarceration. Each inmate should theoretically benefit from 20 or so medical consultations each year, including three with a dentist.

In 2022, waiting times for doctors’ appointments were very long, sometimes several days, according to prisoners at the Warsaw-Białołęka jail. The head of healthcare at the prison and their deputy (both qualified doctors) were “overwhelmed” with administrative tasks and didn’t see patients outside of emergency situations.[^MNPv] [^MNPv]: Commissioner for human rights, Human rights in places of detention. How Poland in implementing into practice the recommendations of the international bodies for the prevention of torture (CPT and SPT), 2022, p. 46

Medication is provided free of charge by licensed staff members.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights pointed out again, in 2015, the lack of specialised treatment. A person suffering from HIV/AIDS criticised the fact that the administration did not provide him with the anti-retroviral medication that he needed.

In case of emergency, the inmate is transferred to a penitentiary hospital. If this is not possible, he is brought to the nearest civilian hospital. Theoretically, he must pay for this transfer.

The most common diseases are Hepatitis C, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Each year, prison health services carry out HIV/AIDS screening on 4000 inmates. On average, 4% of the results are positive. Some inmates conceal their HIV-positivity. New infections detected each year range from 30 to 50.
8500 to 9000 screening tests for Hepatitis C are carried out each year. On average, 900 are positive.
There are 400 cases of tuberculosis detected each year. The medical examination upon entry into the prison includes TB screening¹.

The medical service recommends the implementation of preventative measures against epidemics and communicable diseases. The insufficient number of washbasins in some establishments is an exacerbating factor¹.

Screening for and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases is compulsory. Staff members receive basic training on HIV/AIDS, its causes, its prevention and its treatment.
Harm reduction measures do not seem to be seriously considered. This is also the case for HIV/AIDS. There are not enough condoms provided. Inmates are poorly informed about diseases and their methods of transmission.
In 2015, an HIV-positive inmate reported that he did not receive adequate treatment upon his arrival. His spouse had to provide him with the necessary medication[^4].
HIV-positive inmates are lodged in individual cells.
The CPT observed that its earlier recommendations had been ignored and that harm reduction, such as programmes to trade in used syringes or condom supplies, were not always implemented¹.

Several thousand individuals suffering from mental disorders are held in special units, also under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. Other mentally ill prisoners do not have access to these units.
The “National Centre for the Prevention of Dissocial Behaviours”, a “post-penal detention” facility, was established in 2014. This facility holds individuals, who at the end of their sentence, are deemed to pose a threat to society due to their mental disorders. Conditions at the center are criticised, especially because of the overcrowding and the repressive, rather than therapeutic, purpose. The Ombudsman and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) have expressed concerns about the conditions of detention. In 2021, representatives of the Polish Commissioner for Human Rights visited this centre. They discovered that the recommendations put forward in 2019 were not all implemented.
In 2021, there was still overcrowding, with 91 people in a facility meant for 60. The head of the centre pointed out that it was impossible to provide necessary treatments under the present conditions. The lack of spaces was causing numerous conflicts.

Guards and medical staff posted in specialised units are trained in the care of individuals with mental disorders, but the Commissioner for Human Rights does not consider this training to be sufficient. Some doctors who are untrained in psychiatry care for these patients.

In 2013, the CPT observed an excessive use of restraints in the psychiatric wing of the prison of Warsaw-Mokotów. The inmates were restrained for an average of 12 hours, usually at night. The delegation reported the cases of patients restrained for 25 to 32 hours. The CPT recommends not exceeding six hours and, in extreme circumstances, no more than 24 hours¹.

In 2016, the National Prevention Mechanism noted the inadequate psychological treatment of incarcerated individuals. Each psychologist was responsible for the care of over 200 patients.

Inmates with addictions benefit from several specific programmes. Methadone is the most-distributed substitute treatment. These programmes include daily visits to the infirmary. Awareness campaigns are conducted to combat dependence on products, including tobacco.

Thirty-one units are dedicated to individuals suffering from alcoholism; fifteen units, to individuals addicted to other drugs. Patients are taken into care for a period of three to six months. They participate in therapeutic meetings.

Methadone was available in all of the institutions visited by the CPT in 2017.

The prison administration at Wrocław was implementing a pilot transdermal alcohol content (TAC) testing programme for prisoners on early release allowed to leave the prison unaccompanied for external employment purposes. The aim of the programme was to encourage prisoners to abstain when they’re out in the community and not being monitored. There would also be awareness-raising activities to promote sobriety among prisoners and reduce the risk of reoffending.

Therapy was available for prisoners who were alcohol dependent. Prisoners rarely resorted to methadone treatment programmes. These would gradually be discontinued. Prisoners who were addicted to drugs or other psychotropic substances would be diverted to alternative facilities. Those on short sentences would be entitled to psychological support outside the prison.

Prisoners who are addicted to opiates and had started substitution treatment before being detained could continue this treatment. “Narcotics Anonymous” group meetings would also take place within the prison. Prisoners could also have individual sessions with a psychologist and coach for the following programmes: short-term treatment, rehabilitation, prevention of addictive behaviour and drug/substitution drug abuse.¹