auf Deutsch
Critique of Patients Rights in Germany
6.
August 2003: this Internet publication is a "Hearing":
Please give comments to: walter.keim@gmail.com.
Have I forgotten somebody on the list further down?
Patients rights are a
reflection on human rights1 and
can be found all over Europe and the developed countries of the
world. To use the right of self determination (Article 2 (2)
Basic Law: Right to life and physical integrity 2)
also towards doctors, the health system and to contribute to
realize patients rights, the following rights would be
beneficial:
1. Right to access all documentation, without having to prove
a special interest.
2. Right to get information on rights and how to complain.
3. Right to complain to an independent body without costs.
4. Right to a fair answer in reasonable time.
5. Correction of mistakes in patient documentation.
The Charter
of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union3
includes Freedom of Information in Article
423. the right to get to know
documentation in Article
41 (2)3, right to complain in
Article
433 (Ombudsman) and the right to
a fair answer in reasonable time in Article
41 (1)3 . On the basis of the
Fundamental Rights of the EU Active Citizenship
Network4 has defined these rights
for patients in the European
Charter of Patients Rights5 . The
EU has
1979 proclaimed Patients Rights for Hospital Patients6 and the WHO
published 1994 general Patients Rights7.
Article
10 of the Convention of Human Rights and Biomedicine8 secures the right to access to any
documentation about own health. The realization of these
rights by laws is shown for European countries: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/patients.htm1 and Norway: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/gesetze.htm9.
Why not in Germany?
I criticize and accuse:
- A doctor from Gmünd because he
refused to give access
to patients documentation10
and he did not
answer for one year11.
- The doctors chamber Nordwürttemberg, because this refusal
was tolerated12 and the
complaint13 was
misunderstood and
the complainant given the blame14.
Here it was shown that doctors protect there own. Doctors
chambers lack the independence to secure patients rights,
i. e. those who decide on complaints could be fired if
supporting patients too much. (An employee of the KV, who
did not cover fraud
payment15 was
fired16). The lawyer
answering the complaint can not instruct a doctor
according to § 2 (4)
of the doctors code17 .
Therefore the patient lowest in hierarchy gets the blame.
- The federal chamber of doctors (Bundesärztekammer), because no information is given18 about the supervision through
Landesärztekammer19 and
control by the minister of social affairs.
- The chamber of doctors (Landesärztekammer)
Baden-Württemberg, because it at last asked
the doctor to give access20,
but did not contribute to process the
complaint (send from the ministry of social affairs)21 . Because their is no access
to the communication between doctor and doctors chamber,
their is no chance to find out who made the mistake. But
I was prepared for that and refused the doctor to give
information without my consent. Therefore it seems clear
that informal
self determination was violated22.
But because access is denied, this can not be proofed.
- The ministry of social
affairs of Baden-Württemberg only
has legal supervision23,
no supervision on facts. The complaint
is misinterpreted24 and legal
supervision not taken seriously25.
The incomplete access to patient documentation is not
dealt with, access to communication is denied. The
supervision can not comment on what is actually done and
in the legal questions self evident rights of the EU
Charter of Fundamental rights (e. g. access) are
violated.
- The ministry of interior
of Baden-Württemberg writes
not to be the right address26
for The
privacy complaint27. A legal
instruction28 is not
given, because only opinions
are allowed29. A
question about legal
advice30 about the
deficiency in the doctors code is not
answered31.
- The authors of the Charter
of Patients Rights 200232
forgot the right to correct mistakes in patient
documentation, which was mentions in Patients Rights
in Germany" of 9./10. June 199933
.
- According to the doctors
professional code of 10. April 2003 only access to
objective parts of patient documentation, see §10 (2):
"no access to ... parts, containing subjective
impressions and observations of doctors." The
parliament of Baden-Württemberg did not change the
doctors code to reflect the newest
judgment (1
BvR 1130/9894) of the
constitutional court that the a reason has to be given
for the denial
of access. therefore the doctors code only reflects
court decisions 20 years old.
- Health insurance companies should help patients. But the AOK health insurance does not give access
to documents and gives no information how to complain34 . An example
is the complaint of 2. April 200035
. Hear the traditional paternalistic
culture of administration 36
was followed, not the rights the Charter
of Fundamental Rights of the EU37
. In consequence the
right to complain is forgotten38,
when patients rights are described.
- The parliament Landtag of
Baden-Württemberg, because the answer39
of the committee of petitions is only a copy
of the letter of the ministry40
. Therefore it is no surprise that the committee refuses
access41. Deficiencies
of access rights and the need to adapt laws to European
standard is not seen.
- The
parliament (Landtag) of Baden-Württemberg, because it
was too avaricious 42
to give freedom of information: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/petition_bw_3.pdf
(much administration, not inconsiderable costs,
"erheblicher Verwaltungsaufwand, nicht unerhebliche
Kosten"). Therefore
the human right of freedom of information 43 is not given to citizens.
- The parliament, government and
administration denies Germans the right to get an answer
from the administration. EU
Charter of Fundamental Rights 37
gives a right of access to documents (Article 42)
and the Right to good administration (Article 41), i. e.
answer fairly within a reasonable time. (see also "The
European Codex of Good Administration44")
German administration has no obligation to give reasons
for its decisions and does not give these rights to its
citizens. Suggestions to translate recommendations of the
Council of Europe on freedom of information and patients
rights have not been answered: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020106coe.htm
45 , http://wkeim.bplaced.net/filer/011223fischer.htm
46 and http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/020214bmi.htm47. No reason is given.
- The German parliament and
government because laws
from the Third Reich 48
are still in force. The allies declared Hitler's
dictatorial government illegal, but forgot to abolish
the laws Hitler made. Lawyers have a monopoly 52 about legal
counselling according to the Law
on legal advice 51 (Rechtsberatungsgesetz
50 from
193549). In those days
the law was given to exclude Jewish lawyers after they
were expelled from the lawyers chamber and prevent that
they give free advice. Even the press is obstructs from
reporting on legal questions 53
. This law is challenged with help of a constitutional
complaint 54(amendment
55 of 5.May.2000)
by a judge who was punished, because he gave free legal
advice to friends. A
Jew working for a voluntary organisation for integrating
refugees was also punished,
because
of legal
advice to Jewish immigrants. A complaint at the European
Court of Human Rights was filed 13. November 2003. Consumers
rights are violated.
- The parliaments on federal and local level because the privileges
for doctors 57
from
Nazi times56 (Seek
after58: "45%
aller Ärzte waren NSDAP-Mitglieder", and "Hälfte
der deutschen Ärzte ... Mitglieder der NSDAP"59 : halfparten of doctors were
Nazis) and lawyers bar (Percentage of NSDAP
Members in legal system was 80%60)
is still kept. there is no rational reason why doctors
and lawyers should have sovereignty functions (same legal
rights as communities). A patient rights
law and a lawyer client law should be given 61, to protect the rights of
patients and lawyers clients, because both doctors
chambers and bars do not give the rights of the Charter of
the Fundamental Rights of the EU 37
e. g. access see Article 4137 (2) and the right to a fair
answer within reasonable time see Article 4137 (1).
- The constitutional court
refused to process the complaint
http://wkeim.bplaced.net/v-klage_en.htm 62 on freedom of
information and patients
rights 63 without
giving any reasons 64 . The
acknowledgement of human rights is only on paper. The
acknowledgement of Article 1 (2) GG 2
is not more then lip service (Lippenbekenntnis)
65 . Germany was condemned
in the case Vogt
v. Deutschland ( - 7/1994/454/535 - EuGRZ 1995, 590 - )
to have violated Freedom of opinion by the European Court
of Human Rights. But Germany
does not respect this and tries to neglect this
verdict. International law is not given precedence, as
the constitution requires (Article
25 GG 2). The Fundamental
Right of the of the EU 37
Charter, to get an answer giving a reason (Article
41), is removed
by the constitutional court even 67
for petitions
66. The European Court for
Human Rights ruled that court
decisions are to be fair68
i. e. their has to be given a reason.
- The federal parliament because the petition on patients rights69 was ceased70,
without answering
the human rights questions71,
the EU Charter and patients rights in the other European
countries (apart from Norway).
- The federal ministry of
health does not see the need for improvement72 to catch up with
other European countries. The answer73 shows that old rules
from predemocratic inspired judgments are still in force74.
- German patients finance the
most expensive health system per person the EU (ca. 225
billion a year), but when it comes to the quality
of the services Germany is on place 13 of 15 in EU: http://www.vz-nrw.de/SES79823442/doc1293A75 see also the experts report
of German official panel of health experts 2000/2001: http://www.svr-gesundheit.de/gutacht/sogu00/kurzf00.pdf76, see also World
Health Report 200077: Place
2578 among
industrialized countries. A health system so bad as the
German system is available in EU for ca. 45 billions
(EURO) less. The best health system in EU (France)
is still ca. 23 billions (EURO) (ca. 1 % GNP)
cheaper. Where remains the money, which does not come to
patients as service, who is benefiting the system? Why do
patients not change this system? Structural
changes are necessary according to Transparency
International and fight of corruption.
- The German people and patients would
be strong together, to achieve their rights but rests of
the authoritarian era of the past are still accepted. The
acknowledgement
of human rights 95 Article
1 (2) GG is so far false and only lip service. But
that's democracy: Do voters get what they deserve,
because they did not choose better? Why are there so many
people who accept that human rights are missing? Why is
there not more engagement for own (human-)rights?
Questions:
Will the prosecutor of the chamber of
doctors be independent enough to support patients rights79? (Even if the court of the doctors
chamber collects fees for the decision
not to deal with a complaint80).
Question
regarding schedule of fees81 (pdf).
Will self help groups be
backed up in the public and be heard by the parliament? E. g. the
"Allgemeiner Patienten-Verband e.V.": http://www.patienten-verband.de/
61, the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft
der Notgemeinschaften Medizingeschädigter e.V.82
(Petition PDF-Format.)
and victims of mistakes of doctors: http://www.geburtsschaden.de/
83 und http://www.aerzte-pfusch.de/
84.
Will the WHO, promoting the "European
partnership for patients rights and citizens empowerment
85" , support patients rights?
Unfortunately this programme
seems to lack activity since 199986.
The Charter
of Fundamental Rights of the EU gives Freedom of Information
in Article 42, access to documents in Article 41 (2), the right
to complain in Article 43 (Ombudsman) and the right to answers
within reasonable time in Article 41 (1). The "European
Codex of god Administration" defines latest two months to get an
answer (Article 17). As EU-Citizen I
would like to ask: How long will the EU Commission
and the European
Parliament (Courrier du
Citoyen) look at that my human right of freedom of
information and other fundamental rights of the EU Charter and
the European
Charter of Patients Rights91 are
violated. In other countries in Europe this is respected. I
become a second class citizen travelling to Germany.
I refer to the "European Parliament resolution on the situation as
regards fundamental rights in the European Union (2000)
(2000/2231(INI))" document A5-0223/2001. Point 3 "(n)otes that it is the particular
responsibility of the European Parliament (by virtue of the role
conferred on it under the new Article 7(1) of the Treaty of Nice)
and of its appropriate committee to ensure (in cooperation with
the national parliaments and the parliaments of the candidate
countries) that both the EU institutions and the Member States
uphold the rights set out in the various Chapters of the
Charter" Will the petition http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition_eu.htm
be answered positive?
Will the European Convent solve these problems93
and give the Fundamental Rights of the Charter of the EU also for
EU member states? According to Com
2002/0247 the "Union must build up an EU-wide area of
freedom, security and justice" with a "guarantee for
the principles of democracy and respect for human rights".
How long will EU tolerate member states not
respecting human rights 95?
Walter Keim
E-mail: walter.keim@gmail.com
Support freedom of information: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/foi.htm,
http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition_un.htm,
http://wkeim.bplaced.net/v-klage_en.htm
Support patients rights: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/patients.htm#e-mail
Ältere Entwürfe, Version: 0.0, Newest
version.
Enclosure:
- Patients Rights in Europe: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/patients.htm
- Grundgesetz der Bundesrepublik
Deutschland: http://www.verfassungsgericht.de/gg.htm
- Charter
der Grundrechte der Europäischen Union: http://www.sidiblume.de/info-rom/europa/2000c364_01.htm
- Active
Citizenship Network: http://www.activecitizenship.net/
- European
Charter of Patients Rights: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/european_charter.htm
- EU
1979: Charta der Patientenrechte für
Krankenhauspatienten: http://www.hope.be/07publi/publoth/Hospchart.htm
- WHO
hat 1994 allgemeine Patientenrechte proklamiert: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/patientrights.html
- Article 10
des Übereinkommens über Menschenrechte und Biomedizin:
http://book.coe.fr/conv/de/ets/164-de.htm#A-10
- Patientenrechte in Norwegen: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/gesetze.htm.
- Verweigerung
der Einsicht in Arztunterlagen: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/000606dg.htm
- Ein Jahr
lang keine Antwortet: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/000719ab.htm
- Bezirksärztekammer
Nordwürttemberg 23.10.2000: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/001023bzak.pdf
- 19.7.2000: Klage an
Bezirksärztekammer: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/000719ab.htm
- 8.4.2001: An
Bezirksärztekammer: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/010408bzak.htm
- KV Abrechnungsbetrug:
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/0,1518,228591,00.html
- Der Spiegel 52/2002: Kartell der
Abzocker: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/kartell_der_abzocker.pdf
- Ärztlichen
Berufsordnung § 2 (4): http://www.bnf.de/originalia/mbo.html#BI2
- Bundesärztekammer
2.10.2000: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/001002bak.htm#bak
- Verbandsinterne
Aufsicht der Bezirksärztekammer: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/001002bak.htm#010624
- Landesärztekammer 12.06.01: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/010612abw.pdf
- Klage an
Sozialministerium: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/010509sb.htm
- Selbstbestimmungsrecht
verletzt und geschummelt: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/000719dg.htm
- An Sozialministerium: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/petition3_sbw.htm
- Sozialministerium 26.10.01: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/011026sb.htm
- Sozialministerium 16.10.01: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/011016sm.pdf
- Innenministerium 16.08.00: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/000816im.pdf
- An Innenministerium 19.07.00: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/000719ib.htm
- An Innenministerium 04.10.00: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/001004ib.htm
- An Innenministerium: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/petition3_ibw.htm
- An Innenministerium 20.07.00: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/000720ib.htm
- Innenministerium 15.05.01: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/010515ib.txt
- http://www.bmj.de/ger/themen/medizin_und_recht/10000616/
- Patientenrechte heute: http://www.degam.de/S5_gmk_p.html
- Petition: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition2.htm#petition
- AOK 2.4.2002: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/000402aok.pdf
- Verfassungsbeschwerde: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/v-klage.htm#hintergrund
- Charta
der Grundrechts der EU: http://www.sidiblume.de/info-rom/europa/2000c364_01.htm#art41
- http://www.patientenrechte.de/mvpatientenrechte.html
- Antwort auf Petition: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition3.htm#antwort
- Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/020607sbw.pdf
- http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/petition3_p2.pdf
- Petition Informationsfreiheit: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition_bw.htm#antwort
- http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/special/frei/12314/1.html
- http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/code/pdf/de/code_de.pdf
- Europarat: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020106coe.htm
- An Bundesaussenminister: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/011223fischer.htm
- An Bundesinnenministerium: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/020214bmi.htm
- http://www.verdi.de/oetv_2/intranet/fachbereiche/06__bund_und_laender/justiz/dokumente/das_rechtsberatungsgesetz_
- http://www.tacheles.wtal.de/aktuelles/hammel/rechtsberatungsgesetz2.asp
- Law on Legal Advice 1935
(Rechtsberatungsgesetz): http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/ge_legal_advice_law_overview.htm
- http://www.tacheles.wtal.de/aktuelles/hammel/rechtsberatungsgesetz2.asp
- Bundesgesundheitsministerium 20.08.00: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/000820bmg.pdf
- Press is hindered by the Law on Legal
Advice 1935 (Rechtsberatungsgesetz): http://www.gabnet.com/jus/rberg1.htm
- Verfassungsbeschwerde Dr. Kramer: http://www.tacheles-sozialhilfe.de/harry/view.asp?ID=110
- Verfassungsbeschwerde Zusatz: http://www.tacheles-sozialhilfe.de/harry/view.asp?ID=111
- http://www.gscbs.de/forum/aktuell/verdi/verdi0402.htm
- http://www.kvberlin.de/STFrameset165/index.html?/Homepage/publikation/archiv/kvbla0702/kvb0702u.html
- http://www.theo-physik.uni-kiel.de:81/~starrost/akens/texte/demgesch/heesch.html
- http://www.kvberlin.de/STFrameset165/index.html?/Homepage/publikation/pk2002/pk061102.html
- Umgang der Justiz mit NS-Vergangenheit:
http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/Umgang_der_Justiz_mit_ihrer_NS-Vergangenheit.htm#80
- Patientenvereinigung: http://www.patienten-verband.de/
- Verfassungsbeschwerde Informationsfreiheit: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/v-klage.htm
- Verfassungsbeschwerde: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/v-klage.htm#patienten
- Bundesverfassungsgericht: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/020621bvg.pdf
- Berufsverbote: http://www.berufsverbote.de/docs/hh-dammann.html
- Bundesverfassungsgericht:http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/030310bvg.htm
- Bundesverfassungsgericht: http://dejure.org/gesetze/rechtsprechung/Hollerlanderschliessung.html
- http://www.justizskandale.de/1/schoeler_bverfg.html
- Petition Patientenrechte: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition4.htm
- Landtag Baden-Württemberg: Antwort auf
Petition: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition4.htm#antwort
- Petition: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition4.htm#menschenrechte
- Petition: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition4_bgm.htm
- Bundesministerium der Gesundheit: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/030314bgm.pdf
- Bundesministerium der Gesundheit: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/030428bgm.htm
- http://www.vz-nrw.de/SES79823442/doc1293A
- Sachverständigenrates 2000/2001: http://www.svr-gesundheit.de/gutacht/sogu00/kurzf00.pdf
- World
Health Report 2000: http://www.who.int/whr/2001/archives/2000/en/index.htm
- WHO Health ranking: http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
- Kammeranwalt:
http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020322ab.htm
- Landtag Baden-Württemberg: Petition
13-1413: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/L-BW-Petition_13-1413.htm
- Gebührenordnung:
http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/Gebuehrenordnung.htm
- Notgemeinschaft Medizingeschädigter
e.V: http://www.bag-notgemeinschaften.de/Petition/petition.html
- http://www.geburtsschaden.de/
- http://www.aerzte-pfusch.de/
- Europäischer
Partnerschaftsverbund für Patientenrechte und die
Befähigung der Bürger zum selbstbestimmten Handeln:
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/318/7193/1234/b
- Patients Rights in Europe: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/patienten.htm#WHO_1997
- http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020418eu.htm
- http://wkeim.bplaced.net/330166.htm
- Petition to EU Parliament: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition_eu.htm
- Courrier
du Citoyen 23. February 2002: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020823eu.htm
- European
Charter of Patients Rights: http://www.activecitizenship.net/health/european_charter.pdf
- Lage der Grundrechte in der
Europäischen Union (2000) (2000/2231(INI)): A5-0223/2001
- Petition 25. April 2002: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020427eu.htm
- Bundesverfassungsgericht (BVerfG) 1 BvR
1130/98 vom 16.9.1998: http://www.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/text/rk19980916_1bvr113098
- Violations of Human Rights in Germany: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/de_human_rights.htm
Support the Rights of Patients by E-Mail
to the Federal Government in Germany
Many countries in the EU have laws securing the Rights of
Patients. Germany is one of the countries in the EU without such
a law. In order to keep up with the international development a
law on patients' rights should also be adopted in Germany.
Support a German Patients' Rights Law, by
the following E-Mail to the German Government (click here):
I support the call to the
German Government for securing the rights of patients by law.
I suggest to implement the European Charter of Patients Rights http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/european_charter.htm
and the "Recommendation Rec (2000) 5 of the Council of
Europe on the development of structures for citizen and patient
participation in the decision-making process affecting health
care": http://www.social.coe.int/en/qoflife/recomm/R(00)5.htm
.
(You may change the text according to your needs).
Support the Rights of Patients by
E-Mail to the European Commission with a copy to the European
Parliament.
Many countries in the EU have laws or charters securing the
Rights of Patients. But minimum standards are lacking.
In order to give all citizens in Europe a minimum of patients
rights and to keep up with the international development patients
rights should be strengthened in EU member states.
Support Patients rights, by
the following E-Mail to the European Commission (click here):
I support the call to the
European Commission for securing the rights of patients.
As a guideline I suggest to use European Charter
of Patients Rights http://wkeim.bplaced.net/files/european_charter.htm
and the "Recommendation Rec (2000) 5 of the Council of
Europe on the development of structures for citizen and patient
participation in the decision-making process affecting health
care": http://www.social.coe.int/en/qoflife/recomm/R(00)5.htm
.
(You may change the text according to your needs).
Visitor No.
since 11. November 2003
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