Scandal in the clinic: Managing Director Goepfert is due to record deficit!

Scandal in the clinic: Managing Director Goepfert is due to record deficit!

In a crucial turn for the municipal clinic Braunschweig, Dr. Andreas Goepfert announced that he will give up his position as managing director at the end of 2025. This decision, which the city of Braunschweig announced on July 14, 2025 in a press release [regionalheute.de] (https://regionalheute.de/braunschweig/klinikum-schafttsfehrer-goepfert-Brun- Braunschweig-1752504469/), takes place against the background of a record deficit of 76 million euros in 2024. In 2025, an even higher deficit of 78 million euros will be predicted, which could increase to around 90 million euros by 2029.

The financial disaster has sparked numerous discussions about the future orientation and management of the clinic. As early as May 2025, the city decided to expand the management by the previous managing director and the newly appointed commercial managing director Sascha Altendorf. However, this measure, which is supported by the SPD, is criticized by the CDU, which calls for an immediate new beginning in the management and sharply criticizes the previous managers [braunschweig-spiegel.de] (https://braunschweig-spiegel.de/oberbuermeister-kornlum-muss-klinikum-zur boss-erklaeren/).

political controversy and demands for reforms

The CDU council group sees a need for action and demands that Mayor Thorsten Kornblum (SPD) have to tackle the situation more determined. "There is something," emphasize critics, especially in comparison to other cities such as Wolfsburg, where the deficit in 2024 was just 9 million euros. While politics struggles for solutions, the strategy of the clinic is also questioned, especially with regard to high expenses, including 1.7 million euros for new signage and the renewal of dishes and clothing. The impression that there is not enough savings on savings is intensified the dissatisfaction braunschweig-spiegel.de.

The general economic situation of hospitals in Germany is not exactly rosy. A current survey [daskrankenhaus.de] (https://daskrankenhaus.de/aktuelles/80-der-krankenhaeuser-mit-negative annual result) shows that 61 % of hospitals have losses. For 2024, 79 % of the clinics will have to expect a negative annual result. The inflationary price increases in personnel and operating costs increase the facilities, and many are dependent on support from their carriers in order to secure their liquidity.

perspectives for the future

The persistent financial burden could lead to further cuts in patient care without sustainable reforms. Economists and health experts agree that underfunding and the lack of inflation compensation must be identified as central problems. The upcoming changes in the clinic could therefore be about not only redesigning the leadership, but also fundamentally to rethink the economic framework conditions.

by the end of 2025 Dr. Goepfert continues to run the shops together with Sascha Altendorf, while the city of Braunschweig is already preparing to fill the managing director positions. Christian Geiger, the first city council and chairman of the supervisory board, has taken note of Goepfert's decision and recognized his commitment in recent years. But the challenges are great and the way to the financial stability of the clinic remains rocky.