Hospitals across Germany are expressing strong interest in restarting the civil service program. According to a recent survey by the German Hospital Institute (DKI) reported in the “Rheinische Post”, 93 % of the respondents say they would be very willing to hire civil‑service volunteers, with 65 % rating their readiness as “very large” and 28 % as “rather large”.
For those hospitals that previously employed civil‑service workers, most would create comparable positions again. The survey estimates that roughly 13,400 civil‑service posts could be established at about 1,260 hospital locations. In 93 % of the surveyed hospitals, these volunteers would be assigned to support nursing staff and carry out patient escort, pick‑up, and delivery duties. Technical and housekeeping departments were also mentioned as potential deployment areas, although less frequently.
“The civil service offers young people an early, hands‑on insight into the varied work of a hospital” said Henriette Neumeyer, deputy chair of the German Hospital Society. “Experience shows that civil service has often been a stepping‑stone to later careers in nursing or other medical fields”.
A key hurdle is compensation. Most hospitals appear able to fund the program in a manner similar to the current Bundesfreiwilligendienst. However, the proposed 30 % personal contribution toward a potential salary of about €2,600 per month-a figure currently earmarked for voluntary military service-would impose an unsustainable financial burden on the clinics.