INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

At the invitation of the Toruń District Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, Marshal Piotr Całbecki and Vice-President of the Regional Parliament Katarzyna Lubańska participated yesterday (16 April) in Toruń in a ceremonial event marking the 35th anniversary of the nursing and midwifery self-government, a nationwide professional organization representing 340,000 members. The participation of representatives of the regional self-government in this important event is an expression of respect for this group of healthcare professionals and concern for the quality of medical care in the region.

“The profession you perform is one of service and vocation. It must combine skills, responsibility, and empathy for another human being – from the beginning to the end of their life. Working conditions are changing, but one thing remains the same – patients’ trust and our great gratitude,” said Marshal Piotr Całbecki during the gala at the Jordanki Cultural and Congress Centre in Toruń. He emphasized that nurses and midwives often work in extremely difficult conditions, including uncertainty regarding the functioning and financing of the public healthcare system. He added, however, that working conditions in healthcare institutions run by the regional self-government are steadily improving thanks to investments in infrastructure and the purchase of modern medical equipment. He also noted that the region has very good nursing schools that graduate highly qualified professionals every year.

It is well known that without nurses and midwives, the healthcare system would not function at all; they are essential in hospitals, clinics, and hospices. In Poland, approximately 300,000 people currently work as nurses and 40,000 as midwives. Around 40,000 of them hold university degrees, and 100,000 have specialist qualifications.

For many years, this segment of healthcare staff has faced a significant shortage (at least 160,000 positions), even in relation to Poland’s relatively modest staffing standards. Per capita, Poland has one of the lowest ratios in the European Union. Hospitals across the country are experiencing severe staffing shortages. Additionally, the number of nurses and midwives in Poland continues to decline (the professional self-government forecasts a decrease of 26,000 by 2030), while the average age of professionals continues to rise (currently 55; every fifth professional is already of retirement age, and the number of new entrants does not compensate for those leaving the profession).

In the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, the situation is even slightly worse than the national average. There are 11,000 practicing nurses and 1,400 active midwives. Employment indicators (number of nurses per 100,000 inhabitants and number of midwives per 100,000 women of reproductive age) place the region 11th and 10th respectively (Ministry of Health data for 2024). Thanks to good training conditions – nursing studies are currently offered at the Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University and several higher vocational schools – the declining workforce trend has been reversed.

Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office

17 April 2026