Green At Ärztepfusch more rights for patients

Greens want more rights for patients at Ärztepfusch

03/16/2015

The Greens campaign for more patient rights at Ärztepfusch. Existing regulations are not yet sufficient. Estimates of the number of treatment errors in Germany range up to 170,000 per year.

More rights required for patients
The Greens demand more rights for patients at Ärztepfusch, reports the „Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“ (FAZ). The health spokeswoman for the Green Group, Maria Klein-Schmeink, told the German Press Agency (dpa), „that the procedural hurdles for injured patients“ even two years after the entry into force of the Patients' Rights Act „still too high“. This is shown in particular by the fact that the number of court cases for treatment errors has not increased. In order for patients to have a fair chance in court, the burden of proof for those affected has to be further reduced, according to the politician.

Patient Rights Act has not achieved the desired effect
As the FAZ writes, it follows from a response by the German government to a request by the Greens that in the years 2010 to 2013, the number of proceedings before local and regional courts remained constant at around 10,000 cases. The dpa's answer says that the figures for 2014 are not yet available. It is concluded by the Greens that the Patients' Rights Act, which came into force in February 2013, did not bring about the hoped-for strengthening of the victims.

Monitoring of medical duties
The black-red federal government is skeptical about a central recording of procedures for medical treatment errors and their publication. Thus, it is reported in the answer that speaks against a nationwide evaluation of procedures in medical liability matters that the monitoring of medical duties as well as the case law of the Local, Land and Higher Regional Courts are to the Basic Law tasks of the countries.

Up to 170,000 treatment errors annually
The Greens, on the other hand, believe that the Federal Government should ensure nationwide monitoring by an independent body. Furthermore, the government should enshrine a fault and risk management in hospitals by law, so that they are forced to deal with errors. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, estimates of the number of treatment errors range from 40,000 to 170,000 a year. In about two-thirds of the cases the treatment errors in the inpatient area (hospitals) would happen and the other third would happen in medical practices.

„Establishment of hardship fund required“
Klein-Schmeink said: „For seriously injured patients whose case remains unresolved, the establishment of a hardship fund is required. Such a fund will provide relief for both the injured and the caregiver and will be an answer to cases where unavoidable treatments are associated with high risks.“ In the past, the German Medical Association had put into perspective reports of the number of treatment errors and pointed out that their number, as measured by the total number of cases of treatment in the United States „per thousand range“ emotional. (Ad)