In July 2025, the Czech Senate approved an amendment to the Act on Health Services. This amendment is a major step toward making Czech healthcare more accessible, efficient and user-friendly for both patients and providers.
A major change is the transfer of responsibility for organizing emergency services (pohotovostní služby) from regions to health insurance funds, which is expected to improve equitable access by leveraging insurers’ greater capacity.
The reform also bolsters patient rights and protection by:
- introducing hospital ombudsmen to handle complaints directly within facilities,
- strengthening protections for patients at risk of domestic or sexual violence, and
- strengthening the right to transparent information about the cost of healthcare services and significantly tightening penalties for illegal fees charged by doctors.
The amendment also establishes centres for comprehensive care for children with long-term health conditions. These centres will provide coordinated, multidisciplinary care to improve the quality of life for paediatric patients and help families navigate the healthcare system more easily.
Additionally, a series of “anti-bureaucratic” measures will simplify governance: mandatory approval of operational regulations (provozní řády) will be abolished for services such as hairdressing, manicure, pedicure and barbering – reducing administrative burden on thousands of small providers while keeping standard hygiene oversight intact.
The amendment simplifies medical fitness assessments for sports by limiting mandatory examinations primarily to professional athletes. Recreational athletes will no longer need to undergo unnecessary medical check-ups, reducing the burden on paediatricians and other doctors. Additionally, the validity of medical certificates for children attending recreational camps will now be indefinite, provided there is no change in the child’s health status. These changes aim to save time for healthcare providers and reduce costs for families.