Healthcare sector is appalled

The Ministry of the Interior published this change in the official gazette just before Christmas. It provides for a reduction in the number of foam wound dressings prescribed per month from 20 to 15. As an additional ‘gift’, the wound care profession was required to provide photo documentation for foam dressings. The OSZ stated that the reduction in the number of units is a flawed idea from a professional point of view.

The patients to be treated are predominantly ulcerated wounds of varying depths, for which the current 20 dressings per month are often insufficient. In the case of these patients, the reduction in volume will certainly lead to a worsening of their condition. In conjunction with the ‘unfriendly’ measure of the specialised department, the OSZ intends to monitor the development of the number of lower limb amputations in future. The most common cause of amputations is inadequate treatment of hard-to-heal wounds.

Before 2010, governments influenced the supply of medical aids in three ways: by reducing prescriptions, by reducing funding rates or by tightening the conditions for prescribing (indication). The current change to the relevant regulation utilises all three destructive instruments simultaneously. The primary task of the State Secretary appointed with effect from 1 September is to draw up proposals for the development of the provision of medical aids. For the OSZ, it looks as if the State Secretary’s hands are tied.