Status: 12/02/2022 4:41 p.m
Relief for nursing staff, more money for children’s clinics, fewer unnecessary overnight stays: the Bundestag has passed a package of laws on hospitals. Health Minister Lauterbach wants to present further plans next week.
The Bundestag has passed a legislative package on hospitals that is intended to bring more money for children’s clinics and relief for urgently needed nursing staff. The new regulations aim, among other things, to improve the working conditions of the often heavily stressed nursing staff. A new staffing tool is to be used for this purpose – based on calculated ideal staffing for the stations.
A gradual introduction is planned, starting with a test phase from January 1, 2023. From 2025, the personnel assessment should then be focused and also sanctioned.
The so-called nursing staff model PPR 2.0 was developed by the German Hospital Society, the German Nursing Council and the trade union ver.di.
It is also planned that certain clinical examinations should be possible in the future as day treatment without overnight stays. This should also create more capacity for nursing staff.
More money for children’s hospitals
In 2023 and 2024, there should be an additional 300 million euros each for children’s hospitals, and 120 million euros more each to secure obstetrics locations. Financing should also become more independent of the current, performance-oriented logic.
In addition, the personnel costs for midwives in hospitals are to be fully taken into account in the care budget from 2025.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said: “In the future, medical necessity should no longer decide on the treatment in the clinics, but rather on economic compulsion.” Patients should be able to rely on being cared for by qualified staff – and that they only have to stay overnight in the hospital if this is really necessary.
The current system emphasizes “cheap and quantity”. According to Lauterbach, however, one cannot proceed in hospitals with the same rules as in food discounters.
criticism from the opposition
The coalition of SPD, FDP and Greens agreed to the plans, Union and Linke voted against, the AfD abstained.
Union health expert Tino Sorge (CDU) spoke of a “hospital burden law”. With rigid personnel requirements, nursing staff would be given new thumbscrews. In the case of planned day treatments, liability issues are unresolved.
The Techniker Krankenkasse criticized that the instrument did not solve a single problem in care – on the contrary. CEO Jens Baas told the dpa news agency: “Instead of new colleagues, the planned nursing staff assessment will give the nursing staff a lot of additional bureaucracy.”
“Big” reform is to follow
The ministry sees the legislative package as the first “small” hospital reform – Lauterbach wants to present a large one next Tuesday.
Declared goal: “Overcoming” the general financing system via lump sums for treatment cases. It has now become so independent that it is at the expense of the quality of care, Lauterbach recently argued.