Overview
- The Bundestag approved a federal Notfallreform on Thursday, October 15, 2026, that aims to reduce emergency-department crowding by changing how patients are assessed and routed.
- The law mandates a professional first assessment by phone or on site, links the emergency number 112 with the medical on-call line 116 117, and creates integrated emergency centres attached to hospitals to steer patients to the right care place.
- State officials led by Brandenburg health minister René Wilke say the law limits municipal and Länder control over hospital planning and that the personnel funding model tied to a basic wage rate risks leaving rescue services underfunded.
- Experts and critics warn the reform leaves key details vague by making dispatch quality standards non-binding and by letting states choose how tightly to link 112 with the medical on-call service.
- The measure now goes to the Bundesrat where Länder will file amendments to tighten financing, protect regional planning roles, and demand enforceable standards before the reform takes effect, a step that will shape how quickly patients and local services feel change.