As the deadline for the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) hospital reform looms, the number of lawsuits against the reform is on the rise. According to the spokesperson of NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann, the ministry is aware of 77 lawsuits as of January 20, 2025, with 32 of them coming from the Düsseldorf administrative region.
Further lawsuits are possible, as the filing deadline has not yet expired. The spokesperson also emphasized that the lawsuits have no suspensive effect. The reform is set to begin in April.
The ministry remains calm in the face of the lawsuits. “The implementation of the hospital planning is the largest health policy reform in NRW in decades. It is a hallmark of the rule of law that everyone has the opportunity to have the decisions of the authorities reviewed in court” the spokesperson said.
“The decisions on the performance groups were thoroughly worked out and developed through a comprehensive participation process. However, it was always clear that the new planning would mean a change for most hospitals compared to the status quo, and that it was to be expected that there would be court proceedings. Now it’s a matter of waiting for the further court proceedings to unfold.