Emergency departments (EDs) in Poland, particularly those in Inowrocław, have seen a significant increase in patient flow, with reports stating that they can handle anywhere from a few up to 80 patients per hour. This overwhelming burden appears not only to be a result of the popularity of certain hospitals due to their treatment capabilities but also indicates deeper systemic flaws in the country's healthcare model. Hospital directors suggest that such trends could be linked to deficiencies within the primary healthcare structure, inclusive of family doctor clinics, which are intended to address initial medical concerns.

The challenges faced by primary healthcare providers are notable, emphasizing that many patients turn to EDs due to inadequate access to outpatient services. The current capitation model incentivizes family doctors to limit comprehensive diagnostics because they must often bear the costs of additional tests themselves, thus demotivating them from pursuing thorough investigations. Furthermore, the primary healthcare sector is grappling with a shortage of family doctors, exacerbated by an impending retirement wave among existing practitioners, leading to significant gaps in service availability for the community.

This situation poses serious implications for public health, hinting at a crisis point in the healthcare system where emergency departments are used as a stopgap for problems that should ideally be managed through primary healthcare. If these underlying issues are not addressed—such as incentivizing family doctors better and improving the availability of medical services at the first point of contact—the strain on emergency departments will likely continue to rise, possibly affecting the quality of care received by patients in urgent need.