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Slovenian Court Overturns Doctor Work Ban, Deals Blow to Health Reform

Slovenia's Constitutional Court has struck down a key government reform that banned most publicly employed doctors from private practice, calling it a violation of constitutional rights. The court ordered parliament to amend the law within a year, siding with a doctors' union that argued the ban would push physicians out of the public system. This ruling is a political blow to Prime Minister Robert Golob's government ahead of March elections, as health reform was a central agenda item. In separate economic news, Slovenia's economic sentiment indicator turned positive in December for the first time in a year, driven by improved confidence across multiple sectors.

Key Points: Slovenia Court Strikes Down Doctor Private Practice Ban

  • Court voids ban on public doctors' private work
  • Ruling protects economic freedom
  • Reform setback before election
  • Union warned of doctor exodus
  • Economic sentiment turns positive
2 min read

Slovenian court strikes down part of government health reform

Slovenia's Constitutional Court ruled a ban on public doctors working privately violates rights, impacting the government's health reform ahead of elections.

"in the interest of Slovenia's citizens and patients - Bojana Beovic, Medical Chamber"

Ljubljana, Dec 25

Slovenia's Constitutional Court has ruled that doctors employed in public medical institutions must be allowed to work in private practices during their free time, striking down a key provision of the government's health reform.

The provision, adopted by parliament in April, barred most publicly employed doctors from engaging in private practice. The government argued that the ban was necessary to improve efficiency in the national health-care system, reports Xinhua news agency.

Slovenia's public health sector has been under pressure, with many patients facing waiting times of one year or longer for certain medical procedures.

The Trade Union of Doctors and Dentists Fides challenged the ban before the Constitutional Court, arguing that it would further weaken the public health system by prompting doctors to leave public institutions in order to continue private practice.

In its ruling, the court said the prohibition violated the constitutional right to free economic initiative and ordered parliament to amend the law within one year.

Bojana Beovic, president of the Medical Chamber of Slovenia, welcomed the ruling, saying it was "in the interest of Slovenia's citizens and patients".

The decision deals a blow to the government led by Prime Minister Robert Golob ahead of the general election scheduled for March 22, as health reform has been a central element of its political agenda.

In a separate development, Slovenia's economic sentiment indicator rose to 0.6 points in December, the highest level since June 2022, the Statistical Office said on Wednesday.

December also marked the first time since December 2022 that the indicator turned positive, according to official data.

In recent years, economic sentiment in Slovenia has remained negative amid weak external demand for Slovenian products, reflecting an economic slowdown across the European Union, which includes some of Slovenia's key trading partners.

"The indicator was 1.2 points higher than in November and 3.6 points higher compared with December last year," the statistical office said in a report.

The year-on-year improvement was driven by increased confidence in manufacturing, services, construction and among consumers, the office said.

Confidence in manufacturing strengthened on expectations of higher production, while sentiment in the service sector improved due to anticipated growth in demand.

The government expects the Slovenian economy to rebound in 2026, supported by higher investment and exports. According to its September forecast, economic growth in 2026 is projected to accelerate to 2.1 per cent, up from an estimated 0.8 per cent this year.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Waiting times of one year or longer? That's shocking. While I understand the government's intent to improve efficiency, the court's ruling makes sense. You can't force doctors to choose. If the public system paid better and had better conditions, this wouldn't be such a big issue. A similar debate happens here about specialists leaving for private hospitals.
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Ananya R
The trade union had a valid point. Such a ban would just push more doctors to quit public service entirely. We see this in our state hospitals too. The focus should be on reducing the waiting lists by hiring more doctors and improving facilities, not on controlling where existing doctors spend their off-duty hours.
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Vikram M
Respectfully, I think the government's approach was flawed from the start. You can't fix a system by taking away people's rights. The "free economic initiative" argument is strong. Hopefully, they now work on a better reform that actually addresses the root causes of the delays. Good ruling by the court.
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Karthik V
It's a complex balance. On one hand, doctors should be free to earn extra. On the other, if they are exhausted from private work, will their public hospital performance suffer? The solution isn't black and white. Maybe regulated hours for private practice, with strict oversight, could be a middle path. Interesting to see how this unfolds.
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Michael C
The article mentions the economic sentiment improving. That's positive news for Slovenia. A healthier economy can eventually fund better public health. But the government's setback on this reform just before elections shows how tricky healthcare policy is everywhere. It's a universal challenge.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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