The changes in the rescue service of the Berlin fire brigade have directly led to more cases at the control center of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV). A KV spokeswoman said on request that the number had already risen to 160 on the first day of the adjustment of codes when answering emergency calls last Monday.
According to their information, the control center had previously taken on an average of more than 100 people a day who dialed the emergency number 112 and for whom, according to the fire brigade control center, there were no indications of an emergency. By handing over cases to the medical on-call service of the KV, the fire brigade hopes to get the overload of the rescue service under control.
The KV control center can be reached around the clock on 116117. According to the information, anyone who calls there will receive an initial medical assessment. Depending on the illness, the patient is treated in one of the eleven emergency services, a home visit is made – or, in an emergency, the fire brigade is called in. But many people call 112 right away, so that many minor cases end up with the rescue service of the Berlin fire brigade.
So far, however, an ambulance (RTW) has often been used in such cases. This caused criticism because the rescue service is almost always in a state of emergency – and in some cases there were no longer any free emergency services.
In order to avoid this in the future, the fire brigade has changed 14 codes for 112 emergency calls, which are part of a standardized computer system that is queried. This means that there should no longer be any use for patients with an allergic reaction without breathing difficulties or with a minor burn. According to the fire brigade, a total of 127 codes are now defined, which are forwarded to the KV.
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They are in close contact and have discussed the changes in advance, explained state fire director Karsten Homrighausen and the KV board. According to their information, the number of payments to the KV has increased continuously. In the second quarter of 2022 alone, the fire brigade made around 3,000 calls to the control center. With a view to the current code adjustments, more cases are expected, it said.
“According to our current assessment, the medical on-call service can process this additional volume. However, we will monitor the situation very closely in order to take countermeasures if necessary, ”said the KV board. He called for financial security: “Emergency care has been in deficit for a long time. It is now the turn of the health insurance companies.”
