Accessibility of medical services in municipalities: a comparative study of the Wrocław Functional Area (Poland)

Abstract

There are no urban planning indicators in the spatial planning system regulating e.g., the distribution of medical services in the areas of planned development which results in the lack of inclusion of clinics in planning documents, and thus a bottom-up, market location of existing healthcare clinics. At the same time, medical services are important for the proper functioning of the society, not only in times of an epidemiological threat. The diversification of their spatial accessibility causes differences in the standard of equipping particular areas with these services and differences in life quality. This is especially true of areas with progressive housing development and a growing number of inhabitants, such as Wrocław Functional Area (Poland). In the framework of the research, the author verified whether the accessibility of healthcare clinics in fifteen municipalities belonging to the Wrocław Functional Area corresponds to their population. Based on cartographic materials and available databases, clinics in this area were inventoried. It has been shown that the number of clinics in many analysed communes is not adequate for the constantly growing number of inhabitants. Likewise, the location of many clinics does not match the actual needs of their location. Demographic forecasts show that the demand for medical services will grow in most of the surveyed municipalities. Considering the demographic forecast, it was proposed to raise and align the standard of equipment with medical services in the surveyed municipalities by determining the number of new clinics needed.