Background. Properly managed outpatient health care shall reduce costs and improve the prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of the study was to analyze the availability of outpatient health cardiac care and satisfying the patients’ needs in the opinion of patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure. Methods: A prospective study was performed in a group of 131 patients with previously diagnosed HF, hospitalized with decompensated heart failure. Results: In the study group (mean age 73.2 ±10.8 years) males were dominant (n=99, 75.6%). The majority of patients presented chronic heart failure, lasting more than 10 years (n=61, 46.6%). Every third person declared that they were not admitted to an outpatient clinic during the last year. Most patients visited cardiologist once (n=33, 25.2%) or twice a year (n=33, 25.2%). While grading the level of cardiological care, 53 patients (40.6%) assessed it as insufficient and 20 (16%) as poor. In comparison by age groups, insignificant statistical differences were reported in respect of numbers of visits to a cardiologist during the last year. Younger patients slightly more often used outpatient care. Conclusions: HF patients are mostly dissatisfied with the services of the outpatient health cardiac care system and they make use of it less often than they need.