Elderly and nursing care: one billion euros for “special use”

Nurses should receive a corona bonus for their work during the pandemic. According to the bill, there will be major differences between care for the elderly and care for the sick. Associations have already expressed criticism.

The federal government wants to show its financial appreciation for their work during the pandemic with a bonus payment for nurses in clinics and homes. The cabinet passed a corresponding bill by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach. The federal government wants to provide a total of one billion euros for this – half for sick and half for geriatric nurses.

Differences between clinics and homes

Clinics that had to take care of more than ten ventilated corona patients last year are to receive 500 million euros. According to the ministry, these are 837 hospitals. The money is to be paid out in stages among their caregivers. According to Lauterbach, the intensive care nurses should receive the most with up to 2,500 euros. Nursing professionals should get up to 1700 euros. The basic requirement for everyone is that they have worked in the clinic for at least three months.

The remaining 500 million euros are to be distributed among the employees in geriatric care. To be considered, they must have worked at an institution for at least three months between November 2020 and June 2022.

Here, too, the bonus is to be paid in stages: full-time employees in direct care and support are to receive the highest bonus of up to 550 euros. Employees who spend at least 25 percent of their working hours looking after or caring are to receive up to 370 euros.

The exact amount of the payments is still unclear

How high the bonuses will be exactly has yet to be calculated, since it is not clear to how many employees the 500 million euros each have to be distributed. The draft law stipulates that the institute for the remuneration system in hospitals will obtain the respective figures for the nursing staff in question from the clinics and calculate the amount based on the millions available.

Intensive care specialists should receive 1.5 times more than nurses on wards with beds. According to the draft, trainees, those doing voluntary service, helpers in the voluntary social year and temporary workers should also receive a bonus. The money is to be paid out to the employer in the second half of the year.

Lauterbach: Thanks despite tight budgets

Lauterbach rated the bonus as a thank you for the “special commitment” of the nursing staff in the pandemic. “Even in times of tight budgets, this is an important sign,” says Lauterbach. At the same time, he promised that the federal government would not leave it at the bonus, but would also campaign for significantly better working conditions and pay for nursing staff. Chancellor Olaf Scholz had already made a corresponding statement.

criticism from patient advocates

The German Foundation for Patient Protection considers the plans to be inadequate. “There is little to be seen of the federal government’s appreciation here,” said board member Eugen Brysch. For example, employees who took care of cancer, stroke or heart attack patients were left out. “With this care bonus concept, the Federal Minister of Health is poisoning the mood among the millions of employees.” The care of the elderly is disadvantaged with the “mini-premium”, said Brysch.

The federal association Lebenshilfe criticized that the employees in the handicapped aid “again should not receive any financial recognition”.