Lauterbach: Major hospital deaths ruled out
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) believes that a major hospital collapse is unlikely despite cost increases and a number of insolvencies in Germany. "I don't believe that 2024 will be the year of hospital deaths. I don't think that's possible," said Lauterbach on Monday, who joined the German Hospital Day in Düsseldorf online. He believes that the number of hospitals that will cease to operate will be manageable.
Lauterbach pointed out that the federal government will provide a further 3.2 billion euros in energy aid by spring 2024. There are also plans to compensate for reduced revenues in nursing care in the planned transparency law. According to the plans, hospitals would receive an additional 6 billion euros in total. The Federal Minister spoke of a bundle of laws that are also being worked on together with the federal states. "We are not doing anything against the federal states," he said. The hospital reform is intended to avert unsystematic hospital deaths.
Industry representatives at the meeting pointed out extensive cost increases and called for urgent remedial action. The President of the German Association of Hospital Directors, Josef Düllings, spoke of a current disaster with increasing insolvencies of essential hospitals. After the coronavirus pandemic, high inflation, tariff increases and decades of insufficient investment funding, many hospitals are being hit particularly hard. And this is not a management failure, he emphasized.
According to a survey, two thirds of general hospitals rate their current economic situation as poor or very poor. As a result, 42 percent of general hospitals expected to have to reduce their range of services in the next six months, according to the German Hospital Institute. 23 percent expected restrictions in the scope of services, for example by postponing scheduled operations. Every second hospital is threatened with staff cuts. 60 percent of hospitals would not be able to refinance the Christmas bonus payments from their normal operating income and would need subsidies or loans.
Lauterbach mentioned that although the federal government will provide additional funds to address financial challenges in hospitals, he does not anticipate a mass closure of hospitals leading to a significant increase in hospital deaths by 2024. Despite these financial aid measures, many hospitals continue to struggle with high costs and insufficient funding, potentially leading to reduced services or staff cuts.
Source: www.dpa.com
