The Report by the Commission of the European Communities of 2008 shows that the systems of health care in Europe face several challenges. First of all, these systems should be adjusted to the ageing society, as well as to new, recurrent threats for the state of health of this society. In order to face these challenges, the systems of health care in individual countries should possess a sufficient number of highly qualified medical staff, especially physicians. Current data concerning the staff of physicians in our country indicate that, concerning both the number of physicians and other relevant indices, Poland still remains behind many European countries. Among the most important problems is the tendency for a slight increase in the number of physicians, although insufficient for the provision of health needs of Polish society, also in the context of data concerning the effectiveness of education at medical universities. Low occupational activity of our doctors, as well as feminisation of this occupation comparable with European countries, is alarming, but primarily the ageing of the staff of physicians. The problem in recent years is the migration of Polish physicians, primarily of specialists, especially of those at the peak of their occupational capabilities. A considerable part of problems associated with the provision of the staff of physicians in Poland is the result of, among other things, political stability over the years with respect to the health care system. In order to achieve the standard of medical services in our country which are comparable to other European countries, the numbers of occupationally active physicians should increase and the outlays for health gradually grow.