Report: More than half of all psychiatric institutions are understaffed
More than half of all psychiatric facilities in Germany fail to meet the minimum staffing requirements. This is according to a report by the German Editorial Network (RND, Sunday editions) based on current figures from the Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Healthcare (IQTIG). "Treatment with insufficient staff endangers patient safety and delays the recovery of severely mentally ill people," said Doris Pfeiffer, head of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV).
According to the data, 387 out of 755 adult psychiatry facilities had insufficient therapeutic staff in the fourth quarter of 2023, which is 51 percent. In children and adolescent psychiatry, 165 out of 296 facilities, or 56 percent, failed to meet the requirements.
The Joint Federal Committee of doctors, hospitals, and insurers has issued concrete minimum staffing requirements for psychiatric, children and adolescent psychiatry, and psychosomatic departments. Failure to meet these requirements may result in penalties. However, transitional regulations currently apply.
GKV head Pfeiffer sees one reason for the problems in the untapped potential of outpatient treatments in hospitals. In her view, too many mentally ill people in Germany are treated in full-time clinics, which is particularly personnel-intensive. An alternative would be outpatient treatment in day clinics.
According to RND, the GKV points out that the number of psychiatric hospital beds in Europe has decreased from 110 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1993 to 73 beds in 2021. In Germany, however, the number of psychiatric clinic beds has continued to rise, reaching about 130 beds per 100,000 inhabitants.
Specialists in the psychiatric field might find it challenging to deliver effective care due to the high number of understaffed facilities. The report by RND reveals that 51% of adult psychiatry facilities and 56% of children and adolescent psychiatry facilities do not meet the required staffing levels.
