Ill in the evening: POZ, out-of-hours care, SOR or 112

In case of immediate life threat or severe sudden condition, call emergency help at 112 or 999. Tell the exact address, what happened, the age of the person and the condition, as far as you can describe it. Follow the dispatcher's instructions and do not end the call until it is resolved. This article explains the pathways of care, rather than making a diagnosis by symptoms.

If you are in doubt about the severity of the condition, describe it to a medical professional, and do not rely only on the internet list. Do not get behind the wheel on your own in a state that interferes with safe travel. For the call it is useful to know in advance the house number, entrance, floor and access code.

Night and holiday care is intended for sudden illness or deterioration, when it is unsafe to wait for the usual intake, but there is no immediate threat to life. It operates from 18:00 to 8:00 on weekdays and around the clock on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory public holidays. No direction required, no territorial linkage.

On pacjent.gov.pl open the map nocna i świąteczna opieka zdrowotna, select the voivodeship and find the active point by address. Do not rely on the sign of the nearest day clinic: the duty station may be in another building. For information on available facilities, use the Telephone Patient Information NFZ.

The Hospital Emergency Department provides assistance in severe emergencies. The priority depends on the medical urgency, not only on the time of arrival. SOR is not a way to speed up a scheduled specialist appointment or get a regular prescription extension.

In case of deterioration during the waiting period, immediately inform the staff, not leaving silently to look for another reception. The absence of a fast queue does not mean that your case is being ignored; ask staff where to wait and who to contact if the status changes.

• Identity document and PESEL or the medical identifier used.
• List of medications and allergies.
• Important medical discharges and latest results on the current issue.
• Contact of a close person and information about the insurance basis.
• A phone with a charge; the address of the building, not just the name of the hospital.

The doctor determines the necessary actions according to the patient's condition. In the duty station, consultation, necessary nursing procedures, prescriptions or sick leave are possible for medical reasons. Scheduled follow-up visits and health checks are not a normal task of the night shift.

Ask for clear written recommendations: what to do at home, when to go again and to whom. Save the statement for your POZ. Entitlement to funded services depends on insurance or other legal basis; foreign nationality and a PESEL number do not automatically mean that all treatment is free of charge.

• Hours, referrals and what out-of-hours care provides
• Map of locations by voivodeship
• Urgency and priority of SOR
• NFZ information on accessible institutions

• First steps after moving to Poland: documents, address, work and medicine
• PESEL: why you need a Polish identification number
• How to choose a POZ family doctor and book your first appointment
• Electronic prescriptions in Poland: get the code and collect your medicine