Bayern’s Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) urges rapid corrections to the federal hospital reform. “The federal hospital reform’s entry into force does not lead to an immediate change overnight, but structurally, a lever is being shifted, giving the states a significant room for maneuver in the next two years” the CSU politician said on Sunday.
Then, the so-called performance groups for the clinics will be assigned according to the criteria set by the federal government in the law. This will “permanently change the hospital landscape” Gerlach said. “The states have hardly any more opportunity to allow exceptions in hospital planning according to the current specifications.” The hospital reform restricts the states’ flexibility to shape and secure the supply of care.
Specifically, specialized clinics are at risk that do not meet the federal definition. “But other hospitals can quickly get into existential problems if they do not meet the strict requirements of the performance groups, for example, in terms of personnel or additional related service areas” Gerlach said. Moreover, many clinics are already financially in a tight spot.
“After the federal election in February 2025, one of the top priorities of the federal government must be to correct the mistakes of the hospital reform” the minister added. “We urgently need a correction possibility at the state level for the performance group requirements, so we can react in individual cases.” Additionally, some “excessive personnel requirements” need to be corrected, which are hard to fulfill in times of a significant personnel shortage.