Overview
- The Bundestag passed the Notfallreform on Thursday, sending the law to the Bundesrat where state governments intend to table amendment proposals on financing and planning.
- The reform requires a fachliche Ersteinschätzung, a professional initial assessment by phone or on site, to decide whether patients need an emergency department, an on‑call doctor or other care.
- A key technical change is the planned connection of the emergency number 112 with the medical on‑call number 116 117 so callers can be triaged into the right service.
- Integrated emergency centers attached to hospitals are central to the design; they will route patients after triage to either an on‑site on‑call practice or the hospital emergency room.
- States and municipal associations warn the law leaves unclear who pays and how many staff are needed, criticize reliance on a basic wage benchmark, and want binding site and quality rules before implementation.