The past and present of the Polish National Health Services. Reform project.

This paper presents a short historical outline of the national health service (NHS) system in Poland. Consecutive stages of the NHS system reform are described (up to October 1991), including the period of early 80's and the Round Table Conference. The general principles of the project of the Polish NHS system reform, which is intended to be implemented with support from the World Bank, are presented. These principles are related particularly to the scope of the questions assigned to the task forces established to solve the basic problems of the present system. Those include: 1. Health Promotion Task Force, 2. Primary Health Care Task Force, 3. Occupational Health Task Force, 4. Health Information System Task Force, 5. Cost Accounting Task Force, 6. Resource Allocation Task Force, 7. Pharmaceutical Monitoring and Drug Control Task Force, 8. Management Development Task Force, 9. Regional Health Services (Consortia) Task Force.