The Bundestag has passed a legislative package on hospitals that is intended to bring more money for children's clinics and relief for urgently needed nursing staff. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) said: “In the future, medical necessity should no longer decide on the treatment in the clinics.”

Patients should be able to rely on being cared for by qualified staff - and that they only have to stay overnight in the hospital if this is really necessary.

The new regulations aim, among other things, to improve the working conditions of the often heavily stressed nursing staff. A new staffing tool is to be used for this purpose - based on calculated ideal staffing for the stations. A gradual introduction is planned. In addition, certain clinical examinations should in future be possible as day treatment without an overnight stay. This should also create more capacity for nursing staff.

In 2023 and 2024, there should be an additional 300 million euros each for children's clinics, and 120 million euros more each to secure obstetrics locations. Financing should also become more independent of the current, performance-oriented logic.