Lower Austrian communities: costs are exploding in the healthcare system – reforms are urgently needed

1. According to experts, reforms in the health system are necessary, which is why cross-party work on the “Health Pact” has been going on in the country for several months.
2. No final results yet. This document is one of several projects currently under discussion.
3. However, on the part of the municipalities, we owe urgent reform efforts, as we are significantly involved in financing hospitals within the framework of NÖKAS and cannot cope with costs and increased rates.
4. Reforms are also urgently needed because we are seeing dramatic deterioration in quality in individual spaces – for example, due to understaffing and underutilisation.
5. Previous location reforms have shown that the quality of care for people and communities is once again performing well, although the process of discussion and change has been more difficult.
6. We also note that in an emergency, people want to choose “the next best care.” And in addition to financing capacity, the quality of future facilities should be a key target of reforms.
7. This will also require accommodation reforms. That is why, in all our considerations, we have already insisted that suitable replacements should be secured in case of loss of supply services at individual locations.

The 7 points listed can be used as original quotes by Johannes Praslin, president of the Lower Austrian Social Association.