Data drama: Interior Minister urges better protection of mentally ill

Data drama: Interior Minister urges better protection of mentally ill

Bremerhaven, Deutschland - The Interior Ministers' Conference in Bremerhaven brought the importance of explosive topics such as data protection and medical confidentiality on the agenda on June 14, 2025. Among the participants were high-ranking politicians such as Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), Thomas Strobl (CDU, Baden-Württemberg), Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU, Schleswig-Holstein) and Joachim Herrmann (CSU, Bavaria). The latter commented in an interview with the NDR on the results of this conference and emphasized the need to better forward sensitive information about people with mental illnesses.

In the current discussion, the topics of data protection and medical confidentiality are becoming increasingly important. The German hospitals face major challenges, especially with regard to the implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These regulations come to the fore more and more, as the German Hospital Society (DKG) emphasizes. It not only offers support from templates and sample formulations, but also closely accompanies the implementation of these laws. As reports dkgev.de, the protection of medical confidentiality is essential for the relationship of trust between doctor and patient.

urgent need to network

Another central point of this year's conference are the latest incidents in which mentally ill people have become perpetrators. Sabine Sütterlin-Waack emphasizes that it is not only about legal framework, but also about involving experts more into this discussion. It is clear that many fatal attacks of the past have forced to rethink. Lower Saxony therefore plans, as in the [Deutschlandfunk] (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/psychisch-ksychisch-ats-atstaeter-holstein-holstein-to-Besere- der-Behoerden-102.html), plans to submit a draft law by the end of the year that aims at better networking of the authorities.

The challenges for health care are already great, according to experts. Hospitals process highly sensitive patient data and at the same time have to take into account the strict regulations of the GDPR. This also includes the respectful handling of medical confidentiality, which is regulated in § 203 of the Criminal Code (StGB). This regulation has experienced far -reaching changes since the end of 2017 that have had an impact on practice.