Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) is not surprised by the results of the Zorgnet-Icuro survey on the financial situation of hospitals. He underlined that our country must continue to invest in healthcare, but that at the same time the functioning and financing of hospitals must be reformed.
According to this survey, 80% of hospitals in Flanders assume that next year it will be impossible not to suffer losses. The top woman Margot Cloet of Zorgnet-Icuro does not exclude that some hospitals fail.
Minister Vandenbroucke realizes that hospitals have been under pressure for more than two years, first due to the coronavirus crisis and then due to the energy crisis. That’s why the government has taken various measures to assist hospitals and health workers, he says.
Measures
For example, the federal budget for hospitals increased by more than 3 billion euros between 2019 and 2023. The minister also highlights the reduction in social security, which amounts to 181.7 million euros, of which 84.8 million euros count as one-off support and the remaining 96.9 million euros will have to be repaid in four installments in 2025. In addition, 80 million euros have been earmarked for increased energy costs. This applies to the first half of 2023 and will then be assessed on the basis of prices.
“We are doing everything we can to absorb the growing costs for our hospitals. But investing to ensure that patients continue to receive high-quality care or that our healthcare staff can do their jobs in good conditions is not enough,” says Vandenbroucke. “We also need to effectively reform the functioning and financing of our healthcare system , not least our hospitals”.
An example of this is ending excessive and costly medical imaging. The minister also wants to encourage more day hospital interventions.
READ ALSO. Hospitals fear unprecedented losses in 2023
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