Future of the Bremen-Ost Clinic: Citizens concerned about care!

Future of the Bremen-Ost Clinic: Citizens concerned about care!

The Bremen-Ost Hospital (KBO) plays a central role in medical care in the southeast of Bremen and is one of the largest employers in the region. But in recent weeks, worrying rumors have emerged about possible closures of the hospital and departments. Residents, employees and the local advisory board are skeptical about the clinic operators' actions, which recently led to those responsible being invited to a meeting of the advisory board to discuss the concerns first hand. Advisory board spokesman Wolfgang Haase from the SPD expressed his concerns loudly: “The uncertainty is troubling us all,” said Haase.

The uncertainty is further increased by the current restructuring course of the Health North Clinic Association (Geno) and the nationwide hospital reforms. These reforms go hand in hand with the Hospital Care Improvement Act, which came into force this year and aims to make comprehensive changes to the German hospital landscape. Health Senator Claudia Bernhard (Left) explained that the reforms aim to centralize services in order to use capacities more efficiently. A concrete decision has been made: The Links der Weser Clinic will be closed and merged with the Mitte Clinic, while the Central, North and East locations will remain. Bernhard expressly emphasized that closing the East location was never up for debate, which should provide local players with some security.

Realignment of the clinic network

The supervisory board of Gesundheit Nord recently approved a restructuring concept that aims to secure high-quality inpatient care in Bremen and the surrounding area in the long term. In this way, the clinic network is intended to be future-proof and at the same time remain an attractive employer. According to the new concept, the number of locations will be reduced from four to three and the capacities at the remaining locations will be optimized. The heart center is also moving from the Links der Weser Clinic to the Bremen-Mitte Clinic, which is planned for 2028. This shows how fast-moving the structure of the hospital is and that we have to adapt to many changes.

Challenges for the future

The challenges for hospitals are enormous given the shortage of skilled workers, investment backlog, a trend towards outpatient treatment and stricter quality standards. The recently commissioned report on hospital care in Bremen and Bremerhaven provides information about this problem. In the future, a decline in the number of inpatient cases is expected by up to 18 percent, coupled with increasing demand for specialized treatment centers.

In addition, as part of the planned reforms, the aim is to combine existing health care offerings throughout the Bremen-Ost Clinic and other locations. The relocation of resources and capacities is intended to ensure that the remaining locations can guarantee high-quality care and also compete. The health sector will therefore change significantly, and everyone involved will be required to actively support and shape this process.

Despite the challenges, works council leader Markus Rohdenburg and general works councilor Olaf Bullert draw a positive conclusion from the restructuring to date. It is important that employees are involved in the processes, while at the same time warning of uncertainties in the context of hospital reforms. In the context of these developments, the Bremen-Ost Clinic is seen as a winner of the current renovation within the Geno network, which gives the local population hope for stable medical care.

The future of the clinic location remains uncertain, but those responsible are doing everything they can to secure service capacities and at the same time regain the trust of the citizens. The coming years will show whether these ambitious plans bear fruit and whether the KBO will remain a reliable partner for medical care in the region in the future.