The Ministry of Health explains: the innovations are related to the protection of personal data and cybersecurity.
In Ukraine, new rules will come into effect in polyclinics from May 20. They concern the processing of referrals, the work of nurses and access to the electronic health system. Doctors are already warning: because of this, appointments may last longer. Such innovations are approved by the order of the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) No. 138 dated March 20, 2026. This is reported by “Your City“, the PromPolitInform portal reports.
So, starting tomorrow, all medical information systems in Ukraine will operate on the principle of “one account, one person.” This means that access to the electronic health system will be tied to a specific medical professional, and the practice of using a common login by a doctor and a nurse will become impossible.
The innovations are already being actively discussed on social networks and in the medical community. Some patients are worried that now, in order to receive a referral to a narrow-profile specialist, they will have to make an appointment with their family doctor, which may increase queues and waiting times.
Previously, many clinics operated informally: a nurse could quickly issue a referral or other document on behalf of the doctor while he was conducting the appointment. Now, access to the system will become personalized, and all actions will be clearly recorded.
The Ministry of Health emphasizes that the changes are primarily related to cybersecurity and the protection of patients’ personal data in the face of constant cyberattacks. They also assure that no new restrictions on the processing of referrals were introduced.
The Ministry of Health explains that from the very beginning, only the medical community had the right to form referrals – it is the doctor who makes decisions about medical appointments after assessing the patient’s condition. At the same time, nurses can continue to work in medical information systems through their own accounts and help doctors with the preparation of documents.
Family doctor Lyudmila Petryk explained in a comment to “Your City” that from the point of view of personal data protection, such changes are logical.
“From the point of view of personal data protection, this is the right step, because now only the doctor will work with the patient’s personal data. European practice does not provide for the presence of a nurse during the appointment, because data confidentiality is valued,” she says.
However, according to the doctor, the new system may create an additional burden on primary care physicians.
“Doctors will have an additional burden. And if the doctor cannot organize their work in a coordinated manner, the appointment will last longer. It is also interesting what nurses will do in polyclinics. After all, they will no longer be able to write out referrals from their account and generally do all the work that they have done so far,” notes Lyudmila Petryk.
At the same time, she is convinced that working effectively without a nurse during an appointment is realistic.
“My practice shows that an appointment without a nurse is possible, because I have been working without assistance for a long time. If everything is clearly organized, it may be more comfortable for the patient, who trusts his data only to the doctor,” adds the family doctor.
Medical experts also note that after the implementation of the new rules, some medical institutions will have to change the organization of work and increase the number of separate workplaces with computers. After all, the principle of “one user – one device” complicates the old model of parallel work of a doctor and a nurse at one computer.
Patients fear that the new rules will increase the number of appointments with family doctors, and it will become more difficult to get a consultation from a narrow specialist, especially in small communities or for the elderly.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health reminds that in a number of cases, patients can still contact specialists without a referral. In particular, this applies to emergency medical care and certain medical services defined by law.
We would like to remind you that from May 20, the primary care sector is actually switching to a new mode of operation with the Electronic Health Care System (EHS). This is not a separate “ban on telephone referrals”, but a consequence of the updated technical requirements for medical information systems.
The regulatory basis for the changes is the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 411 of April 25, 2018, which approved the Procedure for the Operation of the Electronic Health Care System, as well as the Order of the National Health Service of Ukraine No. 138 of March 20, 2026. It approved the 37th edition of the technical requirements for medical information systems. These new requirements were to be implemented by May 20, 2026.
