Düsseldorf. Clinics in North Rhine-Westphalia are expecting significantly higher financial requirements to implement the new hospital plan than planned by the state. The opposition SPD warns of chaos in clinics with negative effects on patients.
By 2 April 2024, hospitals have applied for €6.9 billion in state funding. This emerges from the answer by State Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) to a parliamentary question from SPD members of the state parliament. However, the funding provided by the state for the implementation of the new hospital planning amounts to only €2.5 billion over a period of seven years. A third of this amount is to flow into climate adaptation measures.
The gap between wish and reality is therefore significant. For SPD MP Thorsten Klute, it is clear that the black-green state government is providing the clinics with far too little money.
Financial needs may be lower
However, it can be assumed that the financial needs of hospitals will be reduced again. Because they applied for the funds before the state informed them of decisions on future service groups and supply orders in mid-June.
The houses still have until August 11 to comment on their decisions. The ministry may launch a second round of funding applications after reviewing the declarations. The decision on the applications should be made promptly. “We intend to issue the first approval notices later this year,” Laumann wrote in response to the request.
The Hospital Association of North Rhine-Westphalia (KGNW), which is behind the new hospital planning, welcomed the 2.5 billion euro grant from the state as an important decision. It is a sign of reliability and enables entry into the implementation of the hospital planning, said KGNW chairman Ingo Morell. But one thing is clear to him: “For the hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia, which are increasingly suffering from the deficit crisis as a result of inflation, it will be crucial that the costs caused by the state decisions are fully financed.”
All transformation costs must be financed
This also includes the transformation costs arising from the closure of departments or entire locations. “Our expectation is that these costs and not just the construction investments will also be covered,” he emphasized. When clinics close, costs arise from operational redundancies.
The President of the Westphalia-Lippe Medical Association, Dr. Hans-Albert Gehle, calls for “stable, reliable and, above all, sufficient funding for hospitals in the transition phase” when it comes to hospital reforms in North Rhine-Westphalia and at federal level. Gehle assumes that the 2.5 billion euro transformation fund in North Rhine-Westphalia alone will not be enough.
Thorsten Klute from the SPD criticizes not only the funding, but also the timetable for implementing the notices of fines. According to Laumann, hospitals should close their departments immediately and have twelve months to set up new services. “This won’t work anyway,” Klute expects.
Minister Laumann’s new hospital plan may in theory be a decent plan. “In practical implementation, however, it now threatens to plunge hospitals into chaos.” “None of this is good for the country’s sick.” (eat)