New hospital plan in Hesse: Reform should be passed this month!

New hospital plan in Hesse: Reform should be passed this month!

There are significant changes to the healthcare system in Hesse. State Secretary Sonja Optendrenk (CDU) announced the imminent adoption of a new hospital plan at a health policy forum in Berlin. This is due to be decided by the cabinet in November. The draft is based on an actual needs analysis as well as the expected effects of outpatient care and demographic developments in order to ensure the economic viability of the existing hospital locations. Optendrenk emphasizes the urgency of structural hospital reform from a qualitative and financial perspective. Ärzteblatt reports that...

The accommodation of hospitals in Hesse is viewed as critical. Optendrenk said that the federal government should set important framework conditions to ensure a uniform standard. At the same time, there are concerns about the link between planning and financing instruments. Critics fear that there is a risk of the states “watering down” the reform, but Optendrenk points out that transition periods are necessary.

Support for reform

Christos Pantazis, the health policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, also commented positively on the necessity of this reform. The first reading of the Hospital Reform Adjustment Act (KHAG) in the Bundestag is already on the agenda next week. The aim of the adjustments is to make the reform more pragmatic to implement. Pantazis appeals to the federal states to provide sufficient financial resources for structural consolidation.

The challenges in the hospital landscape are not just an issue in Hesse. Marc Schreiner, managing director of the Berlin Hospital Association, also calls for support from the coalition, as investment cost financing in Berlin is viewed as inadequate. This financial support is crucial for the transformation of the hospital landscape, which directly affects many patients.

Quality in healthcare

A central aspect of the planned reform is ensuring quality in Hessian hospitals. Health Minister Diana Stolz is keen to comprehensively revise hospital planning. For this purpose, planning should be carried out that is based on clearly defined quality criteria. The Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) calls for the next steps to be implemented quickly and sees the involvement of the health insurance companies in the reform design as necessary. Dr. Barbara Voß, head of the TK state representative in Hesse, emphasizes that the focus must be on quality for patients. The Techniker Krankenkasse provides information about this...

In Hesse, it remains to be seen what the coming weeks will be like. The reform will not only transform the clinical landscape, but also have a direct impact on patient care in the region.