Central Clinic for Friesland and Wilhelmshaven: Decision on July 2nd!

Central Clinic for Friesland and Wilhelmshaven: Decision on July 2nd!

A groundbreaking decision is on the agenda on July 2, 2025: The Friesland district council and the Wilhelmshaven city council will simultaneously discuss the construction of a new joint central clinic. This decision affects healthcare for around 180,000 residents in the region, and it would have significant consequences for the existing hospital locations in Wilhelmshaven, Sande and Varel, which would have to close when the new clinic is completed in the 2030s. The district council meets at 2:30 p.m. in Horumersiel, while the city council meets at the same time in the Wilhelmshaven town hall to discuss the issue, within a public part of the meeting from 3 p.m.

The background is serious: the financial problems of hospitals in the region are significant and urgently require a solution. Every year, those affected have to be saved from bankruptcy with tens of millions of dollars. Against this background, the nationwide hospital reform has led to cooperation and concentration in health care. District Administrator Sven Ambrosy and Mayor Carsten Feist are working closely on a joint proposed resolution to address this challenge. A renovation report that deals particularly with the St. Johannes Hospital recommends the closure of the Varel Hospital - a critical point that requires a three-quarters majority in the district council.

Study shows advantages of a central clinic

A feasibility study, which was presented on April 7, 2025 and was carried out by WMC HealthCare GmbH on behalf of the Friesland district and the city of Wilhelmshaven, provides arguments for the construction of a joint central clinic. According to medconweb.de, such a central clinic would not only reduce costs by over 30 million euros compared to several locations, but also significantly improve the care structure. A centralized clinic would optimize patient logistics and make resource use more efficient.

The report speaks of “single-occupancy”, which in practice means that a new building on a shared site can significantly improve care and services for patients. The experts' recommendations show that variants with several locations could only offer savings of around 8 million euros and that there is also a higher risk of future deficits.

Public discussion and further steps

The suggestions from the feasibility study will be discussed in the political committees of the city of Wilhelmshaven and the Friesland district in the coming weeks. A full legal merger of the clinic GmbHs is being sought, with the establishment of a new joint GmbH for the construction and operation of the central clinic also being considered. This is where the two cities need to work together to create a sustainable solution for healthcare.

Lower Saxony supports such reforms through an investment offensive and the provision of funds to address the need to improve hospital care nationwide. According to information provided by Niedersachsen.de, 2.5 billion euros were also made available to support German hospitals. The responsible actors agree: it is now up to the region to take a bold step into the future of healthcare.