The Regulation on Private Hospitals, which was published in the Official Gazette No. 32798 on January 30, 2025, regulates the establishment, operation, inspection, and closure procedures of private hospitals. The regulation aims to enhance service quality and patient safety in private hospitals. Dental hospitals are not included in this regulation.
1. Conditions for Opening and Licensing Private Hospitals
- Private hospitals may be established by natural persons or private legal entities.
- Individuals convicted of sexual offenses or certain legal violations, as well as legal entities in which they hold shares, cannot open or acquire private hospitals.
- Individuals whose hospital licenses have been revoked cannot obtain a new license for five years.
- Changes in the hospital’s shareholder structure must be reported within one month.
2. Accreditation Requirement
- All private hospitals must be accredited by the Turkish Institute for Health Services Quality and Accreditation (TÜSKA).
- The accreditation certificate will be valid for three years and subject to annual inspections.
- Hospitals without accreditation must display a notice in patient information areas stating: “This hospital does not have a TÜSKA accreditation certificate.”
3. Changes Regarding Intensive Care Units
- Intensive care beds cannot exceed 30% of the hospital’s total bed capacity.
- Specialized intensive care units will be mandatory for cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics.
4. Working Conditions for Physicians
- Specialist physicians may work in private hospitals without staffing restrictions if they close their private clinics.
- As of January 1, 2025, physicians with private clinics may work in a maximum of two private hospitals as non-staff temporary physicians if they close their clinics.
- Faculty members from foundation universities may only work in private hospitals with which their universities have a collaboration protocol.
5. Temporary Work Permits for Physicians Working Abroad
- Turkish physicians working abroad may work in private hospitals for a maximum of six months within a one-year period, subject to Ministry approval.
6. Patient Rights and Complaint Mechanism
- QR code systems will be mandatory in patient rooms to allow direct submission of complaints.
- Units found to be violating patient rights may have their activities temporarily suspended.
- Critical units such as intensive care and emergency services will continue to operate under commission supervision until compliance is ensured.
7. Electronic Medical Records and Data Security
- Medical records must be stored using electronic signatures in accordance with the Electronic Signature Law.
- Data security must be ensured, and unauthorized access to medical records must be prevented.
- The hospital’s responsible director will be accountable for this process.
8. Free Treatment for Impoverished Patients
- Private hospitals must allocate at least 3% of their bed capacity for impoverished patients.
- At least one bed must be specifically designated for this purpose.
9. Inspections and Sanctions
- The Ministry of Health and Provincial Health Directorates will conduct regular inspections of hospitals.
- Hospitals found to have irregularities, patient rights violations, or technical deficiencies may have their licenses revoked.
10. Transition Process and Compliance
- Hospitals will be given three years to obtain TÜSKA accreditation.
- Compliance with physical infrastructure requirements must be achieved by the end of 2025.
- Hospitals failing to comply with the new regulations will have their licenses revoked after March 25, 2026.
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