State Councillor's plan

Retain good hospital staff through higher wages

Staff at Vorarlberg hospitals are to be better paid in future.

(Bild: Huber Patrick)

The state, hospital operating company, works council and medical association are involved in the discussion on salary adjustments. How high this will be should be clarified by June 2024.

State Councillor for Health Martina Rüscher is not to be envied, as she finds herself caught between two stools when it comes to hospital staff and salary increases. The healthcare sector has become a bottomless pit in recent years, with around a quarter of the entire state budget now going towards it.

Austerity measures announced
After the provincial elections at the latest, Rüscher will also have to prepare for austerity measures, as the finance officer's purse strings will probably no longer be too loose. And the complaints of the mayors, who are being asked to pay heavily via the health fund, are also getting louder and louder.

On the other hand, the regional councillor has to contend with circumstances that she cannot influence. Demographic developments - people are getting older and using more medical services - or specializations in cutting-edge medicine are causing costs to rise steadily.

We see the need for action and take the challenges faced by employees in all healthcare professions in Vorarlberg's hospitals very seriously.

Martina Rüscher

Bild: mathis.studio

At the same time, hospitals in Austria and abroad, some of which are suffering from staff shortages, are tempting Vorarlberg employees with lucrative offers. Rüscher has therefore decided to start a salary process. "We see the need for action and take the challenges faced by employees in all healthcare professions in Vorarlberg's hospitals very seriously. We want to remain competitive in the long term and continue to be able to safeguard the provision of care," she explained.

No exaggerated demands
However, the salary demands must remain grounded in reality, Rüscher emphasized as a precaution. A fair and well-coordinated system for all professional groups is now to be found by June of this year. This is to be worked out jointly by representatives of the state, the hospital operating company, the hospital works council and the Medical Association.

The vice president of the latter, Hermann Blaßnig, took the opportunity to point out the necessity of the process. According to a study, more than ten percent additional doctors would have to be employed by 2030 in order to secure the current level of care. And that will come at a cost...