Shortage of staff: Medical Association wants summit with smoke

2023-09-18 20:04:00

“Months-long waiting times for operations, overcrowded outpatient clinics, hospital staff at their limit – politicians can and must no longer expect all of this from the people in this country,” said ÖÄK Vice President Harald Mayer. The issue of patient control should be addressed as a priority. Mayer also criticized “patients’ complete freedom of choice as to which point in the healthcare system they go to.” This leads to “scarce hospital resources being used inefficiently and sometimes completely wasted.” According to Mayer’s ideas, the path of sick people should not necessarily lead to a hospital outpatient clinic, as has often been the case in the past.

In addition, it is urgently necessary for doctors in hospitals to be further relieved of non-medical work such as documentation and other bureaucracy.

Not a “miracle measure”

The staff shortage, which was reported in the media at hospitals in Tyrol and Styria at the end of last week, is “not a new challenge,” said Health Minister Rauch on Monday. “It’s not enough to have one miracle measure, because that doesn’t exist, but rather a whole package. We’re working on it at all levels and the health care reform, which is currently being negotiated as part of the financial equalization, is also a building block,” assured Rauch.