New government initiative plan to close one in five hospitals for overnight stays
A new federal government agreement aims to transform smaller hospitals and campuses into day hospitals. Zorgnet-Icuro, the largest Flemish healthcare umbrella organisation, supports this plan, De Standaard reported on Wednesday.
Minister of social affairs and public health, Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit), is pushing for a significant shift in the hospital landscape alongside Zorgnet-Icuro. The government agreement states that it is "inefficient" to "maintain identical hospitals at locations that are only a few kilometres apart, both in terms of financing and quality of care."
“If we do nothing, the sector will collapse"
During the previous government term, Vandenbroucke had already discussed sweeping reforms in the healthcare sector. While not all of these plans were explicitly detailed in the government agreement, they are ready for implementation. Zorgnet-Icuro, which represents Flemish general hospitals, backs the initiative, stating, “If we do nothing, the sector will collapse,” says CEO Margot Cloet.
Conversion into day hospitals
The most significant proposal involves converting hospital campuses with fewer than 250 acute beds used for short stays into day hospitals. The government would allow exceptions to ensure adequate geographical coverage and maintain emergency response times.
Under this plan, overnight stays would no longer be possible in 10 to 12 of Flanders' 52 general hospitals. However, Zorgnet-Icuro has not yet identified specific hospitals, as services may still be reorganised.
The shift to day hospitals will have tangible effects, including the closure of some maternity wards. Previously, hospitals in Deinze, Oudenaarde and Knokke-Heist were flagged for having too few deliveries to ensure "efficient care." Smaller hospitals will remain open during the day for consultations and scheduled procedures, such as hip operations, where patients can return home the same evening.
“Not all hospitals need to be open 24/7 today,” says Cloet, noting that the reduction in night shifts will help address staff shortages. However, patients may need to travel further for specialised care. “For many forms of specialised care, a sufficiently high volume of patients is needed to deliver quality," she adds.
Currently, Belgium has 103 hospitals spread across 195 campuses.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO BELPRESS
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