An internal email from a senior physician at Munich Clinic, exclusively obtained by BR, paints a stark picture of the challenges facing the city’s communal hospitals. The report details an evening in a Munich Clinic emergency room where 55 patients awaited initial examination, with some enduring waits of up to ten hours. This incident, while not resulting in patient harm, underscores a growing concern among medical staff regarding the impact of increasing financial pressures and understaffing on patient care and safety.
The Alarming Reality in Munich’s Emergency Rooms
Dr. Sebastian Wallner (name changed), a senior physician, described a chaotic scene in the emergency room, where gaining an overview was challenging due to prolonged waiting times and a lack of organized processes. He noted that many critically ill patients could not be treated quickly enough, highlighting a significant risk to patient well-being. This is not an isolated incident; staff report that such situations are becoming increasingly common, pushing medical professionals to their limits.
Budgetary Pressures and Restructuring Plans
Munich Clinic faced a deficit of 140 million euros last year, prompting the city of Munich, its communal operator, to demand cost-cutting measures. Dr. Götz Brodermann, the CEO, is tasked with reducing this deficit by 2029. His strategy, known as “MÜK20++,” aims to consolidate competencies and improve patient care by focusing on two main locations, Bogenhausen and Harlaching, as maximum care providers. However, this plan also involves job cuts for doctors, a move that has sparked significant protest.
Doctors’ Protests and Systemic Failures
Four protest letters have been sent to the supervisory board, and six doctors, speaking anonymously to BR due to fear of repercussions, have expressed their concerns. They describe their daily work as inefficient and stressful, with one assistant doctor stating, “There are simply too many patients for too few medical staff, and that simply means we cannot do justice to all the tasks that arise per patient.” While the clinic management asserts that job cuts have not yet begun, some doctors’ contracts have already not been renewed, leading to insecurity among the staff.
The German Healthcare Dilemma
The struggles at Munich Clinic mirror a nationwide problem within the German healthcare system, particularly the “flat-rate per case” system. This system, intended to promote efficiency, disproportionately affects comprehensive care providers like Munich Clinic, making it difficult for them to generate sufficient revenue. Clinic management argues that with more doctors, they are currently treating less complex cases than before the pandemic, suggesting that reforms and cost savings are both possible and necessary.
Structural Deficiencies and a “Bottomless” IT System
Medical staff point to numerous other structural problems that hinder daily clinical operations, including a “bottomless” IT system, a lack of digitalization, and inefficient structures. While clinic management acknowledges these issues and claims to be addressing them, stating that measures take time to show results, many doctors feel that the burden on them has reached a breaking point. They fear they can no longer guarantee the high standard of medical care expected and that they cannot meet their own professional demands.
The Ongoing Struggle for Dialogue
Dr. Peter Hoffmann, a member of the works council, agrees on the need for greater efficiency but criticizes the current job cuts as “planless.” He highlights the high number of overtime hours worked by doctors and the lack of staff involvement in decision-making. He warns that if the situation continues, patient well-being will indeed be at risk. Clinic management has expressed a desire for more internal discussions, a sentiment echoed by the works council and the medical staff, who hope for more meaningful dialogue.
The BR Funkstreifzug investigation found no evidence that patients at Munich Clinic have been harmed due to budget cuts. However, extensive interviews and internal documents reveal that many doctors are severely overstretched. They are increasingly concerned about their ability to provide high-quality medical care and meet their professional standards in the face of mounting pressure.
Source: https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/spardruck-an-den-muenchen-kliniken-aerzte-schlagen-alarm,VC8PzxE
