Hospital reform 2025: HKK relocates departments to Walsrode!

Hospital reform 2025: HKK relocates departments to Walsrode!

The Heidekreis Clinic (HKK) plans to adapt a comprehensive restructuring to adapt to the new requirements of the Health Ministry of Health, which comes into force in early 2025. Several departments are expected to be relocated to Walsrode this year. This measure is a reaction to the reform, which stipulates that clinics have to ensure minimum benefits in relation to personnel, equipment and disciplines at the same location in order to continue to receive financial support.

The reform changes the financing: Instead of a fixed standard of performance, instead of after the services rendered, from April 2025. Clinics must register their performance areas for approval, whereby they are binding from 2027. Dr. Achim Rogge, Managing Director of the HKK, emphasizes that a merger of the departments is necessary to ensure medical care. The shortage of skilled workers and upcoming pension entries will lead to an employee loss of up to 200 people by 2028, while personnel costs rose by 8% last year.

planned displacement of departments

The relocations begin with nephrology in April 2025 and should also include trauma surgery, orthopedics and neurology by summer 2025. By the end of 2025, cardiology, emergency room, radiology and intensive care medicine will also be planned, while psychiatric institute outpatient clinics and laboratories 2026 will follow. The area of ​​geriatrics is expanded in Soltau. In Walsrode, obstetrics and the children's clinic are merged and reduced to four to six beds. The more modern and efficient infrastructure in Walsrode is considered an advantage.

It is expected that the relocations will save the district around 14.9 million euros. Without these measures, the deficit of the hospital could be up to 51 million euros. The Supervisory Board is planning a decision on the approval of the new plans on March 21, 2025, while the move to the new building is scheduled to the end of 2028.

At the same time, the Heidekreis-Woche that the reform also affects the district. The Federal Council has already approved the hospital care improvement law. In the spring of 2025, the Heidekreis Clinic has to apply for the new performance groups. These groups will regulate medical services, minimum cases and personnel qualifications. Each location is considered separately when allocating, the requirements for qualified staff, suitable rooms and necessary equipment are defined.

The clinic management works on the examination of the necessary requirements for the locations in Soltau and Walsrode. It is planned that important decisions about the economic situation and the requirements in the coming months must be made. A closure of a location before moving to the new building is not planned.