Fear of hospital reform in church and non -profit hospitals

The clinic death continues and on the list of victims, names of saints and orders are no more common: Sankt Vincentius, Sankt Marien or Sankt Elisabeth Hospital, Theresienklinik or Alexian Johannistift are called some of the two dozen small and large houses that have been because of 2024 insolvency Or had to close financial imbalance. Likewise the clinic of the Diakoniewerk Munich Or the Rotkreuz clinics In Lindenberg in Bavarian And in the Rhineland-Palatinate Altenkirchen. « The financial situation of many hospitals in Germany is worrying, » says the President of the Red CrossGerda Hasselfeldt. « More and more clinics are facing economic, which has serious consequences for patient care, » she warns.

Gerda Hasselfeldt: « Characteristic clinics are under particularly high pressure »

At the moment, more than every fourth hospital in Germany is writing loss, mostly in the millions. Almost all clinics still suffer from the consequences of high inflation after the corona crisis and the beginning of the Ukraine secretary. But for the hospital operators, who are called « free -together » because they are committed in the social area without intention to win, the crisis reaches a existential -threatening extent.

« Non -profit clinics are under particularly high pressure, » says Hasselfeldt. Deficits do not take over the circles or cities. And unlike private companies, they could not form high reserves or get capital on the market. « Without quick financial support, many of these hospitals threaten this – with serious consequences for health care in Germany. »

Particularly threatening Seidie Development for hospitals in regions with already limited supply options, said Hasselfeldt, referring to rural areas. Closets would leave massive gaps there and worsen medical care. « A functioning health care must be secured in the long term and remain resilient in crisis situations, » warned the DRK boss. « Especially in coping with crisis and disaster cases, non-profit hospitals have a central role, » emphasized Hasselfeldt.

Hospitals speak of « silent expropriation » by politics

The managing director of the German Hospital Society, Gerald Gaß, also warns of a dangerous development: “Eighty percent of the bankruptcies concern the free -together hospitalsalthough overall only about a third of the clinic locations.  » The crisis is massive to the economic substance of the hospital operators.

In fact, many of the now threatened, sometimes hundreds of years old houses, have survived wars and many crises. « Free -collar -common clinics, especially in church sponsorship, have always been a solid and patient -centered manner, » says the head of the German Evangelical Hospital Association, which is part of the Diakonie, Christoph Radbruch. « But even economically well -managed houses are now in existential need through systematic underfunding and the lack of inflation compensation, » he warns.

« Unlike municipal clinics, freelance institutions cannot cover their deficits through municipal grants, » says Radbruch. « The reserves with which many carriers have so far assumed responsibility are almost used up, » he adds. « If politics does not act now, there is a dramatic loss of security of supply and social stability – especially in rural regions, » warns Radbruch. “Our clear demand to the Federal government: A fair inflation compensation for all clinic carriers is overdue. This is the only way to preserve the diversity, quality and social roots of the hospital landscape in Germany. ”

Pay church clinics the price of hospital reform?

The previous Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has never made a secret of the fact that in his opinion there is far too many hospitals in Germany and that he with his KLinik reform more funds in state -of -the -art university clinics want to stick. Do the non -profit clinics now pay the price for this? The hospital landscape would change if the socially thinking sponsors had to give up, which had long been part of the backbone of German patient care.

« We advertise the preservation of denominational clinics out of the conviction, » says Caritas President Eva Welskop-Deffaa: « To let her die is more than a demolition of a tradition. We see it as a risk to a value-oriented medicine and care for people, » she emphasizes. « In a first step, we demand that the inflation and tariff-related cost jumps from 2022 and 2023 are compensated for by bridge financing in order to avoid further bankruptcy of needs-based houses, » says Caritas boss. In addition, the clinic reform must be corrected in a practical manner in order to further ensure the supply in rural areas.

« As Caritas, we are very worried that the implementation of the Lauterbach hospital reform means that the need for needs will not survive the reform, especially in rural areas- a barely correct drama, » warns Welskop-Deffaa. « The law must guarantee a remuneration that also deserves its name and is designed with the number of cases, » demands the Caritas President. The reform must better enable cooperation contracts and hospital associations. « Many of our smaller hospitals specialize, but can only survive in a network. »

« Politicians have to act quickly and implement a hospital reform that takes place at short notice, » DRK President Hasselfeldt also demands. « Changes are planned, but many measures will only come into play in a few years, » says the former Minister of Health. « However, hospitals already need financial security to cope with increasing costs and employ sufficient staff. »

Hospitals are calling for massive reduction in bureaucracy

The German hospital company also warns that in addition to underfunding, the hospital reform as a sword of Damocles over many clinics. « This situation is particularly explosive for the smaller and medium -sized clinics of the freelance -collectors in rural areas, » says Managing Director Gaß. What makes it difficult to survive these locations. « It is therefore a central demand to the negotiators, unlike the incumbent health minister, not only recognizing the problem of non -adequate funding, but also actually taking it against stabilizing patient care, » he appeals to the Union and SPD.

According to a report of the Medical blatts If the negotiators consider four billion euros either to invest in the support of hospitals or a nursing reform. « If there are actually one-off payments here, this can only be the first step to win some time, » says Hospital Managing Director Gaß. « At the same time, the clinics must then be freed from cost -intensive bureaucracy and over -regulation by the new federal government, » he demands. This included many small -scale staff specifications as well as the countless reporting requirements and detailed specifications. « We also expect corrections to the hospital reform, for example the suspension of the completely unsuitable resolutions, » emphasized Gaß.