There is not enough money to implement the act on minimum wages

Next Tuesday, ZPP is organizing a meeting devoted to the analysis of the financial situation of poviat hospitals after the entry into force of the law guaranteeing new minimum wage levels for basic employees and, last but not least, the decision on the amount of additional financing by the National Health Fund. Hospital directors, local government representatives and experts will also analyze the impact of other factors - such as inflation and rising operating costs, on the financial stability of institutions.

The Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund invariably claim that the vast majority of hospitals - significantly over 80 percent. - signed the annexes. However, as experts emphasize, the mere fact of signing the annex does not mean that the hospital has no problems or will not have any problems in the near future: the annexes are also signed by those institutions that have already declared that there is not enough money for the increases. Directors choose the "lesser evil", wanting to secure at least partial financing for their payouts, which they will have to make anyway. Some hospitals, however, decided not to make July payments in the new amount - on August 10, their employees received a salary in the "old" amount and a promise of compensation when the facility receives money from the Fund. Employees in this situation will be entitled to interest.

The minister of health suggested in the first half of August that some poviat hospitals have problems because there is an excess of employment there. However, poviat hospitals and ZPP indicated several years ago that a very high (and growing) share of labor costs in the budget structure of poviat institutions is not related to excessive employment. Conversely - when looking for staff, especially specialist doctors, but also other medical workers, without whom the hospital cannot function - facilities are forced to offer higher and higher rates (most often on contracts). An alternative is to limit activities and close - temporarily or temporarily - branches, which translates into problems with the performance of the contract.

The Act on minimum wages has a stronger impact on poviat hospitals, firstly due to their smaller contract with the National Health Fund (and thus a greater share of employee costs), and secondly - a much smaller share of separately contracted services, apart from the lump sum. Increasing the performance of the contract, which is also recommended by the Fund and the Ministry of Health as a remedy for problems, will not do much - because most of the services are provided as a lump sum. More benefits mean more costs, and revenues are either none or disproportionately low.