Alarm in the Helios children's clinic Schwerin: Langing of doctors threatened care!

Alarm in the Helios children's clinic Schwerin: Langing of doctors threatened care!

in the Helios Children's Clinic in Schwerin, it is bubbling. In an open letter, employees expressed their displeasure with the tense personnel situation. They warn that the medical care of the small patients could be in danger. According to the clinic staff, they criticize that both nursing and medical responsibility can no longer be sufficiently met. The lack of nurses, therapists and doctors, who is increasingly affected by the everyday clinic life (ndr] (https://www.ndr.de/mecklenburg-vorpommern/amachein-in-füller-brief-aus-Helios-Kinderklinik-in-schwerin, helios-102.hml) is particularly painful.

The clinic management, however, is opposed to the allegations and does not refer to them as objectively. It is emphasized that there were no planned or current restrictions on pediatric medical services. Sebastian Ehlers from the CDU, a member of the Supervisory Board, takes the concerns of the employees Ernst and demands an enforcing conversation between everyone involved. The Ministry of Health of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is also intended to clarify the questions about the security of the children's clinic. A change of managing director contributes to uncertainty: Alexander von Dömming has been the new chief physician of the Carl-Friedrich-Flemming-Klinik.

Lack of personnel and challenges in everyday clinical practice

The Helios Clinic Schwerin is one of the largest hospitals in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with around 4,000 employees. But the clinic has been fighting with a lack of staff for a long time. This was particularly clear by the dismissals of 50 to 60 employees of a subsidiary who had taken on important service tasks. The clinic management argues that legal requirements, such as the Nursing Strengthening Act, must prioritize the recruitment of qualified nursing staff. However, the layoffs left massive gaps in everyday clinical life, which means that in addition to their actual work, nursing staff also have to take on tasks such as the food edition and the making of the bed, such as [Schwerin.news] (https://schwerin.news/2024/03/-die- reported.

The introduction of a "skill mix" model, in which teams from different qualified staff divide the tasks, has proven to be necessary. But many nursing staff feel overloaded by the additional obligations. Those who have lost their position have the opportunity to continue their education, for example to nursing assistants, but the course system takes time and does not solve the acute lack of personnel. In addition, many fixed -term contracts expire in the medical and nursing area, and temporary workers often do not receive any extensions. Although the clinic management claims that no operational terminations are planned, the uncertainty among employees remains great.

a fundamental healthcare system

A look at the general situation in German healthcare shows the severity of the problem. According to a study by PWC, 68 percent of the survey participants see the appropriate payment as the most important incentive to remain in care. Better working hours and personnel equipment are also important factors for many who want to work or work in nursing. In reality, these challenging framework conditions often lead to long waiting times and frustrated employees - a vicious circle that will not break through so quickly.

The situation in the Helios Children's Clinic is not an isolated case. Rather, it is symptomatic of the structural challenges in a system that operates on the limit. It remains to be hoped that the situation improves through dialogues and targeted measures and that the small patients will receive the necessary care they urgently need.