The federal government could possibly allay concerns about adequately equipping hospitals with midwives. Minister of Health Lauterbach wants to include them fully in the care budget from 2025.
The traffic light pushes the financing of midwives in hospitals. From 2025, the personnel expenses should be fully taken into account in the care budget in the amount of the proven costs, according to the "Rheinische Post" in a formulation aid from the Ministry of Health for the coalition factions, which is to be decided by the Bundestag on Friday.
In this respect, the employment of midwives in the delivery rooms is then also equated with direct patient care on wards with beds. Their activities for the care of pregnant women, women giving birth and women who have recently given birth have a direct connection to patient care comparable to nursing.
In addition, according to the German Association of Midwives, a not inconsiderable proportion of midwives are employed in postpartum and high-risk pregnant wards. It is currently already possible to include these personnel expenses in the care budget under the “Other professions” occupational group. In the years 2023 and 2024, financing via the care budget will continue to be secured, as in the years 2020 to 2022, according to the formulation aid.
According to the information, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach had previously responded to the demands of the professional associations that midwives should not fall out of the care budget from 2025.
