St. After mass layoffs in St. Gallen: That’s how bad things are for Swiss hospitals

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St. Big explosion in St. Gallen hospitals: 440 out of 9,000 jobs will be laid off in the next five years. And this is St. Despite the fact that the canton of St. Gallen changed its entire hospital structure in 2020. The reason for mass layoffs is still the difficult financial situation. So what about Swiss hospitals in general?

A new study by consulting firm PWC shows: The majority of Swiss hospitals reported losses in 2022. Increasing interest rates and material costs due to inflation are creating more and more problems for hospitals. In addition, employees’ wage demands are also increasing.

Increasing costs and too many players

The big problem: The rates that health insurance companies pay hospitals for patients remain the same. Hospitals don’t earn more, but they have to bear higher costs. According to the research, if tariffs are not adjusted, price adjustments can only be made through extraordinary terminations and foreseeing their effects. Inflation could be a possible reason for mass layoffs in the canton of St.Gallen.

According to data from the Federal Statistical Office (BFS), there were a total of 276 hospitals in this country in 2021. 38 percent are for general care, the rest are specialist clinics or birth centres.

However, according to BFS, the number of hospitals is falling, especially due to mergers of hospital companies. This also makes sense, according to Santésuisse director Verena Nold (61): “Hospitals should be more specialized. This improves the quality of medical care.” The quality of treatment is more important than having a hospital on your doorstep.

University hospitals should treat difficult cases first, while regional hospitals should perform simpler procedures and, of course, be there for emergency treatment. “Unfortunately, the fact that cantons are responsible for medical care in only one canton does not help,” he says.

CSS boss Philomena Colatrella (55) is of the opinion that half the hospitals will be enough in an interview with Blick this week. Costs can also be reduced this way.

St. Measures were not enough in St. Gallen

St. The canton of St. Gallen has already taken drastic measures in 2020: the canton reduced the number of acute hospitals from nine to four. Fixed offer now available for Grabs, Uznach, Wil and St. It is concentrated in St. Gallen. Hospitals in Wattwil, Rorschach and Flawil have already been closed and converted into clinics or outpatient clinics, meaning they do not need to provide primary care. Walenstadt Hospital was sold to the Cantonal Hospital of Graubuster. The house in Altstätten is planned to close in 2027.

Since May, St. It is known that the remaining four hospital groups in the canton of St. Gallen want to go one step further. From 2025 there will be only one hospital network. The aim is to achieve a positive financial result again in the future.

The situation is similar in the canton of Bern: the Münsingen hospital was closed in June, followed by the closure of the Tiefenau hospital at the end of 2023. After all: the majority of the 1,000 employees must be able to continue working at Inselspital in Bern. However, 200 people are expected to be laid off.

Source :Blick