Occupancy with infectious patients at a record level: Corona-related staff shortages are restricting hospital care

18.03.2022 18:40

The number of patients with corona infections in hospitals has reached a previously unknown record level. “The clinics are currently treating more infectious patients than ever before since the beginning of the pandemic. From February 1, 2022 to today, the numbers have increased by 60 percent to now more than 24,000 patients. This clearly shows that the record incidences are also reflected in hospitals,” said the CEO of the German Hospital Association (DKG), Dr. Gerald Gass.

As a result of this growing number of infectious patients, ever larger infection departments have to be operated in more and more locations. “This costs staff who are then missing elsewhere and puts a lot of strain on the employees because they have to provide maximum infection protection around the clock,” emphasizes Gaß.

At the same time, sickness-related staff absences in clinics have increased almost across the board and are putting hospitals in considerable distress. Around 90 percent of hospitals currently have higher sickness-related staff absences in their patient-related areas than is usual at this time of year. The developments are largely due to the corona pandemic. This was the result of a quick survey by the German Hospital Institute (DKI).

In this difficult environment, politicians are leaving the clinics uncertain as to whether and how the Corona rescue package will be continued beyond March 19th. “We are in for a rude awakening this weekend if politicians don’t wake up. If the federal government's compensation payments actually expire on Saturday, the hospitals will immediately lose a billion euros in liquidity per month in order to pay ongoing personnel and material costs. We have no chance of making up for this financial gap without a rescue package. I lack any understanding for this hesitation, and I don’t know how the federal government wants to explain this to the employees in the hospitals,” said the DKG board chairman.

Currently, absences are significantly higher in 40 percent of clinics (over 20 percent more employees are sick than usual) and higher than usual in 51 percent of facilities (5 to 20 percent more sick). The high sickness rates mean that many hospitals cannot fully utilize their existing capacities. Due to illness, three quarters of the hospitals are currently unable to fully operate their beds in the general wards. Compared to January 2022, this corresponds to an increase of 24 percent.

“The results of the survey are alarming. It shows how thin the staffing level in the clinics is overall and how even relatively small fluctuations in staffing can lead to problems with patient care. Staff shortages are currently a much bigger problem than in normal years. The survey also shows how imperative it is to extend the Corona rescue package. 75 percent of clinics have to limit their range of services and thus inevitably lose the revenue necessary to ensure economic performance. It is not acceptable if there is no clarity about what will happen next one day before the regulation expires. “That doesn’t do justice to the performance of the clinics and the employees,” says Gaß.

The nursing service is most affected by absences due to illness. Almost half of the hospitals reported higher staff absences (5 percent to 20 percent more sick) or significantly higher absences (over 20 percent) than usual at this time of year. In the medical service, three quarters of the hospitals have higher sickness rates than usual. “The data shows that we have to relieve the remaining staff in patient treatment as best as possible in order to be able to maintain care. We are therefore calling for a bureaucratic lockdown because we can no longer afford to use our nursing staff three to four hours a day for medical and nursing documentation that is often unnecessary. Otherwise, restrictions in patient care, for example in the form of bed closures, waiting lists or postponements of elective procedures, can hardly be avoided in many hospitals,” says Gaß.

Compared to a previous flash survey in January 2022, sickness absences have increased noticeably across occupational groups. In patient-related areas, the proportion of hospitals with significantly higher sickness rates (over 20 percent more than usual) rose from 12 percent to 40 percent. In total, the proportion of houses with increasing sickness rates has increased from 72 percent to 91 percent since the beginning of the year.

In comparison, the situation in the intensive care units has largely stabilized over time. In January and March 2022, over 40 percent of the facilities were unable to fully operate the available intensive care beds due to illness.