(Vienna, 13 October 2026) The planned cuts at Austria’s public universities are more than just a question of higher education funding. At the Medical University of Vienna, around 200 full-time equivalent medical posts are at risk of being cut. The consequences would not be limited to research and teaching: they would directly affect patient care at University Hospital Vienna, highly specialised cutting-edge medicine in Vienna, and the training of the next generation of doctors.
For the forthcoming funding period from 2028 to 2030, the figure currently on the table for Austria’s public universities is 15.5 billion euros, rather than the 18 billion euros demanded by the Conference of Universities. The Medical University of Vienna would be particularly affected by this.
“Cutting back on university medicine does not merely affect isolated research activities, but also medical training and the provision of medical care to the population,” says Johannes Steinhart, President of the Vienna Medical Association. “If medical posts are cut at MedUni Vienna, this will inevitably have an impact on training and patient care. The result would be reduced treatment capacity, longer waiting times and, consequently, increasing pressure on Vienna’s other hospitals.”
Up to 200 full-time equivalent medical posts at risk
The Medical University of Vienna currently provides 1,700 doctors for the operation of University Hospital Vienna, constituting the entire medical staff. Around 85 per cent of MedUni Vienna’s budget is allocated to this area.
“The Medical University of Vienna is not only a centre for research and training, but also bears a central responsibility for healthcare provision. We provide the entire medical staff at University Hospital Vienna. Cutbacks on the scale currently under discussion would therefore directly affect our three core tasks: research, teaching and patient care. In recent years, we have succeeded in establishing university medicine in Vienna as a world leader. We must not now jeopardise this success through short-term budgetary measures. We need long-term, secure funding to ensure that medical care remains at the highest standard in the future,” emphasises Markus Müller, Rector of MedUni Vienna.
World-class medicine requires university medicine
“University medicine combines research, training and patient care under one roof. Cuts to infrastructure and staff also jeopardise the highly specialised care provided to the public, which is available in this form only at the University Hospital Vienna,” explains Thomas Szekeres, Honorary President of the Vienna Medical Association and a specialist in medical and chemical laboratory diagnostics at the University Hospital Vienna. “The federal government never tires of emphasising that it has set itself the goal of improving the healthcare system. The cuts to the university budget will achieve exactly the opposite.”
Vienna must not lose its competitive edge as a research hub
The cuts also threaten Vienna’s status as a research hub: “Cutting-edge medical research takes place within a global competition for the best minds. Anyone who cuts research budgets and reduces scientific posts weakens the city’s competitiveness. There is a significant risk that highly qualified researchers will leave Vienna or will not choose to come to Vienna in the first place,” Szekeres continues.
An austerity programme would also be a strategic step backwards. “The University Hospital Vienna (AKH Vienna) is ranked 20th among the world’s best hospitals, whilst MedUni Vienna is among the world’s top 200 universities. Our aim should be to improve these rankings even further. Budget cuts and staff reductions will inevitably cause us to slip down the rankings.”
Training is part of ensuring healthcare provision
Alongside research and patient care, medical training forms the third pillar of university medicine. “We are already facing a shortage of doctors. This makes it all the more important not to reduce training capacity, but to expand it. The doctors being trained today are the ones we will urgently need tomorrow to provide care,” explains Eduardo Maldonado-González, Vice-President and Chair of the Salaried Doctors’ Section of the Vienna Medical Association.
Medical training takes place largely within the day-to-day clinical setting. Fewer medical staff therefore also means less time for guidance, supervision and the training of the next generation. “Vienna must remain an attractive place for young doctors to train and work. We are already struggling to keep up with neighbouring countries,” says Maldonado-González.
Chamber calls for summit to find a joint solution
The Vienna Medical Association is therefore calling for a joint summit involving the Ministry of Science, the Medical University of Vienna, the City of Vienna and representatives of the medical profession. “Action must be taken now to safeguard the long-term viability of university medicine. We must consider the funding of research, training and patient care as a whole and develop a sustainable solution for the coming funding period,” urged President Steinhart. What is needed, he says, is a joint solution that recognises that the Medical University of Vienna is simultaneously a centre for research, a training institution and part of the public healthcare system. “The next generation of doctors in Austria needs the assurance that they will receive a good education, and doctors must be able to rely on the fact that research and work at the highest level are possible here. After all, our aim must be to continue to guarantee world-class medical care and not to allow waiting times to increase any further.”