Hospital.Help

Berlin – The 16 health ministers of the federal states will discuss the two topics at their Health Ministers’ Conference (GMK) in Lübeck-Travemünde, which begins tomorrow, during an evening fireside chat in a “debate on hospital reform” and emergency reform. This is evident from the agendas for the meeting and for the so-called fireside chat, which were submitted to the German Medical Journal with the date of 28 May.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) will also attend this meeting. The fireside chat is a more confidential setting, with no speakers or ministerial staff present.

In addition to hospital reform and the further approach to emergency reform, the topic of compulsory social insurance for doctors in emergency services will also be discussed. This topic is being brought up by this year’s chair state, Schleswig-Holstein. This year’s GMK chairwoman Kerstin von der Decken (CDU) had already hinted a few weeks ago at the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (vdek) reception in Berlin that she wanted the federal government to make swift changes to the law. The state of Berlin will also bring the topic of cyber security in doctor’s offices into the confidential talks.

Further funding for public health services called for

The agenda for talks tomorrow and the day after tomorrow will include other health policy issues, including the call by all countries for the further development of the Public Health Service Pact beyond 2027.

The pact, which was concluded during the coronavirus pandemic and also contributed to strengthening the public health service’s personnel, expires at the end of 2026. A joint approach between the federal and state governments is being called for to ensure further funding. The states are also discussing strengthening the public health service with regard to “bioterrorist threats”.

The states also apparently want to present a joint resolution on accelerating the recognition procedures for doctors with foreign training. Saarland and North Rhine-Westphalia also want to discuss the possibility of completing medical or pharmaceutical training that was started in a third country in Germany in the future.

The states also want to discuss cannabis model regions and the abolition of supervised drinking of alcohol from the age of 14 in Travemünde.

Every year, the 16 health ministers and senators come together for a face-to-face conference in the respective presiding country. There are also demonstrations on site every year: this year, the Verdi trade union, among others, has announced a demonstration. From the union’s point of view, health policy has strayed from the right course in recent years, Verdi announced today in Kiel.

Instead of providing the best possible care, it is about maximizing profits. Under the motto “Getting health on track,” Verdi wants to accompany the conference and hold a rally in Lübeck tomorrow. The SPD also supports the union in its demands for good working conditions. Health Minister von der Decken must urgently advocate for binding and needs-based staffing ratios, stressed Schleswig-Holstein’s SPD parliamentary group leader Serpil Midyatli. © bee/cmk/aerzteblatt.de