The Ministry of Health is an office of government administration serving the Minister of Health.

The Minister of Health is a policymaker and the regulatory body that is responsible for national health policy, major capital investments in healthcare, medical science and education, introducing regulations governing the functioning of the health care system.

The competences of the Minister of Health include:

• providing equal access to health care services financed from public funds,
• regulating organization and functioning of universal health insurance by issuing ordinances based on statutory delegation,
• as well as financing of selected highly specialist health care services and selected public health programs.

The Ministry of Health performs the following tasks as a part of services rendered for the Minister of Health:

• reimbursement of drugs, medical products and foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses;
• supervision and audit of entities providing health care services;
• supervision of performance of medical professions;
• development and coordination of implementation of health programs;
• organization and supervision of the National Medical Emergency Rescue System;
• performance of tasks connected with health resort treatment.

The Minister supervises the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector, Chief Sanitary Inspector, President of the Bureau for Chemical Substances, and the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products.

Moreover the Minister of Health supervises i.a. the National Health Fund (payer in the Polish healthcare system), Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (entity, which is responsible i.a. for setting the value of medical services), the Medical Research Agency (entity which purpose is i.a. to build an innovative healthcare system) and scientific institutions.

It should be emphasized, that the Ministry of Health does not have competence for direct actions combating corruption and fraud in the health care system, but can minimize the risk of fraud and corruption by adopting regulations of universally binding law that are clear, coherent and promote transparency, and by activities supporting the development of anti-corruption culture.