AMMD Slams Health Minister Deprez Over Patient Care Priorities

Tensions between Luxembourg’s Association of Doctors and Dentists (AMMD) and the government have reached a critical stage, with the organisation threatening to pull out of its agreement with the National Health Fund (CNS). At the centre of the dispute are reimbursement tariffs, stalled reforms, and what doctors describe as the government’s failure to put patients at the heart of the healthcare system.

The AMMD announced it will vote on 8 October on whether to formally withdraw from its convention with the CNS, after mediation efforts failed to deliver any progress. If confirmed, this would mark a major escalation in a conflict that has been simmering for months.

Unequal Treatment Fuels Frustration
AMMD president Chris Roller highlighted the frustration among practitioners, pointing to the recent collective agreement for hospital staff that secured significant pay rises, while doctors were excluded from similar negotiations. He accused the system of harbouring a conflict of interest, noting that unions sit on the CNS board and are directly involved in negotiating hospital agreements. Doctors, by contrast, are told budget constraints prevent any revaluation of their fees.

Stalled Reforms Under Deprez
The association also criticised Health and Social Security Minister Martine Deprez for backtracking on reforms initiated under the previous government. A bill had once been drafted to allow outpatient procedures outside hospitals, aimed at reducing waiting times. That proposal was withdrawn by Deprez in 2024, and since then only a vague outline has surfaced — one Roller argues is far from realistic to transform into law this year.

Currently, only hospitals are authorised to open external facilities, a system the AMMD says fails to improve efficiency or lower patient costs. Roller stressed that if patient care is truly the priority, contributions paid by the public should be used more effectively.

Both the AMMD and the Ministry of Health insist that patients would not see immediate consequences should the association leave the CNS convention. However, critics warn that the broader issues of waiting times, accessibility, and affordability remain unresolved.

Some observers fear that opening the door to private initiatives could risk commercialising healthcare and draw doctors away from hospitals, further complicating the sector’s already fragile balance.

The next quadripartite meeting, scheduled for 13 October, will focus on the financial deficit of the CNS. For the AMMD, however, the problem goes deeper — it is about the structure of the system itself, which, in their view, consistently sidelines doctors and patients alike.

With negotiations stalled and frustrations running high, the coming weeks could prove decisive for Luxembourg’s healthcare landscape.

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