[Are the hospital ethics committees necessary in Poland?]

The role, and even the necessity of hospital ethics committees, is not universally agreed upon. In the 2005, the UNESCO advised the establishment of four types of bioethics committees at different levels: policy-making and/or advisory bioethics committees/commissions/councils at national levels (PMAs), health-professional association (HPAs) bioethics committees, health care/hospital ethics committees (HECs), and research ethics committees (RECs). Until recently in Poland, only RECs existed. The article discusses the necessity of establishing HECs nationwide. So far, only two bodies of this kind exist in two large, academic paediatric hospitals. In some other academic centers, institutional RECs try to act as HECs, but it is only a temporary solution. A nationwide discussion, and formal establishment of HECs will be necessary.