Concern for Penzberg Clinic: Financial crisis threatens patient care!

Concern for Penzberg Clinic: Financial crisis threatens patient care!

In Penzberg, citizens are feeling growing concern about the local hospital. The Starnberg clinics and the Starnberg district are facing major challenges while a realignment of the holding company is being planned. The recently passed Hospital Care Improvement Act (KHVVG) could help, but the Bavarian Hospital Society warns that it will not solve the economic hardship of many clinics. In fact, one in eight hospitals in Germany is in the red, which raises fears of cold structural change in rural regions. Even in Penzberg, where the municipal clinic plays an important role with 100 planned beds and over 4,000 inpatient cases annually, the future is uncertain. The Merkur reports that the Starnberg clinics have been recording deficits for years, which the Starnberg district has to compensate for.

The financial difficulties are exacerbated by a combination of rising costs due to inflation and tariff increases, as well as a dramatic decline in patient numbers since the coronavirus pandemic. The district has provided over 29 million euros for the clinics for 2023, which corresponds to more than 10% of the total budget volume. Only 80% of hospitals in Germany see themselves in such a critical situation that they expect a negative annual result. In agreement with the findings of Süddeutscher Zeitung, District Administrator Stefan Frey (CSU) does not expect any immediate progress with the reform. It could take up to ten years before the reorganization of the clinics is completed.

Financial difficulties and concerns about patient care

With a deficit of 1.6 million euros in 2021 and an increase to 4.3 million euros in 2023, the Penzberg Clinic is facing a problem that not only affects the current employees, but also endangers patient care. Health Minister Judith Gerlach warns of the possible consequences of cold structural change in rural regions. The closure of the clinic in Schongau in spring 2023 has further fueled the public discussion: more and more clinics are closing due to financial problems, and it remains unclear which houses in the Penzberg district can be preserved in the long term.

The concerns about Penzberg are also manifested in the city council meetings. MPs criticize the district's information policy and demand a clear plan to ensure clinical care. The FDP has advocated that the Penzberg location must be preserved. “The responsibility for patient care lies with us and must also be guaranteed in the future,” emphasizes Managing Director Dr. Thomas Weiler of the Starnberg Clinics. Despite the worrying situation, the clinic is continuing its business as usual and internal reviews of its future strategy are already underway.

Future of hospital care in the district

Starnberger Kliniken GmbH, which also includes the Penzberg Clinic, is planning a restructuring and would like to develop high-performance health centers. The goal is to establish one of the clinics as a primary care provider so that specific medical services can be comprehensively covered. The decisive factor will be which clinic is able to expand its scope of services. The Tagesschau emphasizes that the distribution of hospitals in Germany is uneven and that there is a lack of care capacity, particularly in rural areas.

Overall, the Starnberg clinics are at a crossroads: the desired reform could have a positive effect on patient care, but there are currently many uncertainties and fears about the future. There are around 1,900 hospitals in Germany, and the need for change is abundantly clear in many regions. It is to be hoped that those responsible have a good hand in finding viable solutions for the clinics in Penzberg and the surrounding area.