The SPD Deputy Karl Lauterbach considers the recommendation of a study of currently 1400 hospitals only 600 bigger and better, covered for.

“The main thrust of the study is true,” said the health expert of the “Passauer Neue Presse”. “But the calculation that could reduce up to two-thirds of the hospitals, but I think it’s wrong and excessive.”

According to the investigation on behalf of the Bertelsmann Foundation for the care of patients in Germany could be improved by the closure of more than half of all hospital significantly. In the case of hospitals and Doctors, which on Monday published recommendations met with strong criticism.

Lauterbach: “Not profit maximisation for hospital closures”

Lauterbach said, in fact, it was so, that with fewer clinics, the quality would probably rise, “if the right closed hospitals, merged or in outpatient facilities would be converted”.

“In less hospitals, we would have more nurses, Doctors, and experience per bed and Patient
and could do without unnecessary intervention,” he said. The SPD politician warned though, it’s not the wrong hospitals should be closed. “What is clear is that There is no profit must be maximizing by hospital closures.” Urgently necessary is the promotion of hospitals in sparsely populated regions and on the country.

Criticism of study

Criticism of the Bertelsmann study came from the German Association of cities: “studies, a concentration process with such a drastic number of hospital closures are in favour of, the Situation and the needs on the ground are not justice,” said the Deputy chief Executive Verena Göppert, the “Frankfurter Rundschau”.