Germany’s United Services Trade Union (Verdi) is calling for substantial revisions to the proposed hospital reform bill following a recent consultation with relevant associations. Sylvia Bühler, a member of Verdi’s federal executive board, stated on Thursday that a reform failing to adequately consider the needs of hospital staff is likely to fail, emphasizing that sufficient personnel is essential for maintaining quality patient care.
The union welcomed the decision to fund the transformation fund – designed to restructure the hospital landscape – through tax revenue, rather than contributions from statutory health insurance. Bühler described this as a necessary correction, alleviating the financial burden on insured individuals.
However, Verdi expressed significant concern over the removal of mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios as a quality criterion. Bühler warned that inadequate post-operative monitoring due to staffing shortages could potentially endanger patients, stressing the need for sufficient qualified nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals.
Verdi is advocating for the reintroduction of personnel assessment systems within hospital and psychiatric care as a mandatory quality criterion. Furthermore, the union argues that proposed amendments to the retention financing system are insufficient, claiming a simple extension of deadlines does not address the underlying problem. Verdi is calling for genuine retention financing, independent of case numbers, including full reimbursement of personnel costs. The union stresses that all hospital staff contribute to functionality and therefore deserve complete cost coverage, mirroring existing practices for bedside nursing care.
Additionally, Verdi is demanding the inclusion of staff and their representatives in the reform’s implementation processes. The union asserts that assuming staff will passively comply with plans is unrealistic and that early involvement is critical to ensure successful reform. Verdi believes the success of the hospital reform should be measured by its contribution to nationwide healthcare security and its ability to engage and support hospital staff through the transformation.
