Comparison of health care systems in Poland and Great Britain by Poles staying temporarily in Great Britain prior to the COVID pandemic

Introduction. Poland’s accession to the European Union intensified migration for work purposes. One of the most popular destinations for emigration was Great Britain, which allocates more money to health protection than Poland, where there is a widespread belief that the quality of public health care is poor. However, more negative opinions were expressed by migrants about health care in Great Britain. Objective. The aim of the study was to compare and assess the quality of health services in Poland and Great Britain prior to the SARS COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and method. The study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire addressed to Poles who stay or stayed in the territory of Great Britain and used services provided by both Polish and British medical entities. 1,625 people took part in the study: 1,402 women (86.28%) and 223 men (13.72%). The survey contained 30 questions, of which statistically significant results were obtained in 5 of them. Results. There was a statistically significant difference in the average assessments of health services in Poland and Great Britain. The availability of primary health care services and specialist services, other than gynaecology, in Poland was rated higher. In addition, the quality and costs of treatment received a much higher average score in the evaluation of Polish health care compared to the British system. Conclusions. Although the amount of financial outlays and statistical data should suggest the advantage of the British health care system, the respondents assessed the services provided in Poland being better.