Electronic time-tracking mandatory in public hospitals – impact on elderly care

A new legislative initiative proposes the mandatory implementation of electronic time-tracking systems in all public hospitals in România, a measure that could have a significant impact on the quality of medical care provided to elderly patients.

Under the proposal, medical and healthcare staff would be required to clock in and out electronically at the start and end of their working hours. The systems would automatically record entry and exit times, actual hours worked, and would allow real-time verification of employee attendance.

Reasons for implementing the measure

The initiative comes in response to repeated reports of public health sector employees failing to observe their working hours. Members of Parliament highlight that there are cases where medical staff simultaneously carry out work at private facilities, thereby affecting patients' access to medical services within the public system.

For elderly patients, who represent a vulnerable group often dependent on public medical services, this issue can have serious consequences. Unjustified absences by doctors can delay diagnoses and necessary treatments, particularly for the chronic conditions commonly seen in this age group.

How the proposed system would work

The electronic systems would need to enable unique identification of each employee through modern recognition technologies. Hospitals would be required to retain access logs for at least 12 months, with the data made available to oversight authorities and audit bodies.

An annual technical and functional audit of the electronic records would be carried out, with results submitted to the Ministry of Health for monitoring and evaluation.

Severe penalties for non-compliance

The proposal includes substantial fines to encourage compliance with the new rules. Hospitals that fail to install or use the systems face fines of between 30,000 and 60,000 RON, with penalties potentially reaching 100,000 RON in repeat cases.

Hospital managers may be fined between 10,000 and 40,000 RON for failure to use the system or for refusing to provide data requested by the authorities.

Implementing these measures could lead to a significant improvement in the quality of medical services provided to older people in public hospitals, ensuring the effective presence of medical staff and the efficient use of public funds allocated to healthcare.