Common hospital: Friesland and Wilhelmshaven set signs!

Common hospital: Friesland and Wilhelmshaven set signs!

An important step for health care in the region recently took place in Friesland and Wilhelmshaven. The district council and the city council have decided to launch the central clinic for Friesland and Wilhelmshaven. This decision, which is considered to be a shoulder between both sides, paves the way for a joint hospital. The next step? The search for a suitable location that makes both economically viable and medically sensible use. This is an important piece of the puzzle in the discussion about the future health landscape, because you know that the Corona crisis clearly illustrates the importance of a well-functioning health system, how how Diw notes.

So far, the provisional continued operation of the three existing houses and their future reuse has been pointed out. The main actor in this development phase is the city of Wilhelmshaven, whose city council also spoke out for the merging with the Friesland clinics. This was done under the background that Managing Director Norman Schaaf emphasizes that a "keep it up" is not possible, but he sees new opportunities for a collaboration. The district council of the Friesland district has also voted for a possible cooperation under certain framework conditions, which in all positive prospects promises, as [Bibliomedmanager] (https://www.bibliomedmanager.de/news/51298-stadt-wilhaven- fuer-fuer-fusion-mit-friesland-Kliniken) reports.

securing liquidity and renovation concept

Another aspect of this promising steps is the approval of a liquidity securing of up to 51 million euros for the clinic in Wilhelmshaven for the years 2024 and 2025. However, so that everything goes in the best lanes, the clinic must present a comprehensive renovation concept by November 21, 2024. Schaaf is relieved by the decision, but at the same time makes it clear that great challenges in implementation are imminent.

The merger of hospital companies is not new - there have been numerous examples in the USA and Europe in recent decades and a large wave of merger has also taken place in the hospital sector in Germany. Between 2003 and July 2020, 325 registered transactions were only forbidden, according to diw Trend towards larger units. But mergers not only bring advantages - they can bring efficiency gains, but at the same time also reduce the competition and lead to higher prices or quality losses, provided they are not implemented properly.

With the current decision, the central clinic is not only seen as a proof of trust between the two cities, but also as a model for future joint projects. Citizens can therefore look optimistically into the future, while the planners now have to concentrate on the search for location and further development.