In September 2020, in anticipation of the so-called “second wave” of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister of Health obliged the President of the National Health Fund to provide funds to medical facilities for additional benefits for specified groups of healthcare workers. In November 2020, the scope of entities obliged to provide healthcare services to prevent, counteract and fight COVID-19 was expanded. So was the scope of persons entitled to receive additional benefits. Also the benefit level was increased – up to 100% of the salary and the maximum benefit payment went up from PLN 10 thousand to PLN 15 thousand.
NIK’s pre-audit analysis revealed that directors of some medical facilities indicate the majority of their medical staff as entitled to receive additional benefits, even in case of a small number of patients with possible or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. In other medical facilities healthcare workers complained that they received additional funds with delay or did not receive them at all.
The Supreme Audit Office will verify if the information provided by heads of medical facilities on healthcare workers involved in diagnosing and providing medical services to patients with possible or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on which the Provincial Branch of the National Health Fund in Szczecin provided funds for the additional benefits, was prepared properly, in line with the conditions defined by the Minister of Health.
NIK auditors will also check if the conditions under which the additional benefits were granted did not result in breaching the principles of spending public funds.
The audit will also show if the Provincial Branch of the National Health Fund executed the order of Minister of Health and provided funds for additional benefits for healthcare workers involved in diagnosing and providing medical services to patients with possible or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
