NHA SAYS IT WILL INCREASE FUNDS TO RAISE NURSE TO PATIENT RATIO |護病比調查 醫學中心1護理師顧9病患

The National Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the nursing/patient ratio for the first half of this year. The lowest ratio was China Medical University Hospital, where one nurse had to look after 9 patients. Next year when amendments to the Labor Standards Act are implemented, there are likely to be even fewer nursing staff available. The National Health Administration said it will increase payments and encourage hospitals to employ more staff. The National Health Administration released nursing /patient ratios for various hospitals for the first half of this year. Of 22 hospitals nationwide China Medical University Hospital had the lowest ratio of nursing staff to patients with one nurse for every 9 patients. ==PANG YI-MING Head, NHA Medical Affairs Div.== Compared to medical teaching hospitals as a whole, it is rather worse, but it has improved since last time. The NHA said the current evaluation of medical teaching hospitals showed that most teaching hospitals had a standard ratio of nine patients to one nurse and most large hospitals met standards. In Taichung Veterans General Hospital, National Taipei University Hospital, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital and Wanfang Hospital each member of nursing staff was responsible for over 8 patients which was still a heavy workload. Medical reform groups that the MOHW should revise the patient nurse ratio to one to six to ensure patient rights. ==CHU HSIEN-GUANG Dep. Dir. Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation== If the standard was 1 to 6, and nurses care for one extra patient, then the death rate rises by over 8 percent, so in a thousand patients there is failure of treatment in 5 to 10 cases. Next year when amendments to the Labor Standards Act are implemented, the number of nursing staff, which is already tight will be even more so. The NHA says that next year it will link heath insurance payments to nurse numbers, so that hospitals with a better patient/nurse ratio will receive more funding as encouragement to hospitals to employ more staff. The China University Medical Hospital which was singled out for its poor ratio, said it will employ further nursing staff and improve. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 衛福部健保署公布今年上半年各醫院、護病比的調查結果，合台最高的是中國醫藥大學附設醫院，一位護理師要照顧9位病人，而明年起勞基法新制上路後，護理人力恐怕更加吃緊，健保署表示會增加給付，鼓勵醫院增聘人力。 大醫院護理人員忙進忙出，還要幫住院病人餵藥及量血壓，工作相當忙碌！健保署公布今年上半年各醫院護病比調查結果，全台22家醫學中心、以中國醫藥大學附設醫院的護病比最高、為9.1，也就是平均1位護理師，就要照顧9位病人。 ==健保署醫管組長 龐一鳴== 比起全體的醫學中心 它是比較差的值沒有錯 可是我要肯定它的是 第一個它比上一次的表現 是有進步的 健保署表示，現行醫學中心評鑑中、護病比的標準是一比九，目前各大醫院護病比大多符合規範，其他像是台中榮總、台大醫院、高雄榮總與萬芳醫院，平均每位護理師要照顧、超過8位患者，工作還是相當吃緊，有醫改團體批評，衛福部應該將護病比標準、下修到一比六，不僅符合國際標準，也可確保病患權益。 ==醫改會副執行長 朱顯光== 以(護病比)1:6為標準的話 只要護士多照顧一個人 其實相對的死亡率 可能就會增加8%以上 甚至每一千個病人會出現說 治療失敗的 可能就會有5到10個人 此外，明年勞基法新制上路後，原本吃緊的護理人力、恐怕雪上加霜，對此健保署表示，健保給付與護病比連動，明年將拉大級距，護病比越低、加成給付越多，鼓勵醫院增聘人力；至於被點名的中國醫藥大學附設醫院則發聲明強調，院方會持續招募護理人員、改善人力不足問題。 記者 賴淑敏 蔣龍祥 台北報導