Mrs Lubisch, according to the wishes of the Minister of health, Jens Spahn patients before approval of a therapy by experts for pre-trial search. Only then you would be at the actual therapist forwarded. What does this mean for the mentally ill people?
The push by Jens Spahn is an insult to mentally ill people. There are additional hurdles on the way to a therapy place and additional efforts. For patients with mental Suffering, it is often already difficult enough to open up to a therapist. Now these people want to confide in another Person, which will take no therapy. The Intermediary provides additional uncertainty on the way to a therapy place. To as ill present to get a therapy space, creates a particularly difficult Situation. The proposal of the Minister of health is simply strange.
Only in the past year, the System was reformed for the award. Since April of 2017, every psychotherapist must offer Acute consultations. So patients can quickly lead to a first interview.
It should only be the effectiveness of this act and to wait for checked. After all, the obligation for patients is not until April 2018, before the start of a therapy, psycho-therapeutic office hours. So there is already a Fuse. This is useful for you. Because that’s the way it can in the short term to be a diagnosis made. Many therapists and patients seek subsequent treatment. The first successes are visible: It indicates that the reduced waiting times to the first call already. To people who are ill, especially chronically, the office hours. The threshold for visiting a therapist is decreased. These achievements are not taken into account by the Minister of health apparently.
it requires adjustments because of further just, to the provision of Therapy areas and long waiting times to reduce to a therapy place?
of Course, psychotherapy courses are missing in Germany since years. For years, a Reform of the planning for this. We are still waiting for and this is what we demand. Here, the policy is required.
Would have Spahns projects on the waiting times for a therapy place?
It is yet unclear the extent to which this instance is implemented only in big cities or in rural areas. She would deduct the additional capacity. It Therapy would be eliminated. This also has a negative impact on the waiting times. The implementation of the proposal by Jens Spahn would be the opposite of what you want to achieve.
With a view to the European countries: What are the adjustments you should make in order to facilitate the access to therapy places?
The comparison with foreign countries is not easy. However, the provision of therapy seats and a high quality treatment in Germany is regulated. The psychotherapists act of 1999 is an achievement. It is the qualifications of the therapists ensured. It regulates the access to psychotherapy as a benefit of health insurance companies. The proposal of the Minister of health is a step backwards, back to regulations of past times.
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the storm of protest against Spahns law plans hurdles for the mentally Ill?
Rainer Woratschka
Barbara Lubisch is an accredited psychotherapist and Federal Chairman of the German psychotherapists Association.
