Saarland Hospital Consultative Council Delivers Final Report - Health Minister Praises 'Factual Foundation'
Saarland Expert Council Recommends Modern, Efficient Hospital Planning
A Saarland expert council, appointed by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Women and Health, has concluded its work on hospital planning after a period of approximately one and a half years. The council, chaired by Prof. Dr. Thomas Kleist, consisted of Hans Joachim Backes, Dr. Susann Breßlein, Axel Mittelbach, and Brigitte Schmidt-Jähn.
The expert council started with a constitutive meeting on January 9, 2024, and held a total of 22 meetings. Their work involved analyzing data, discussing with relevant actors in the Saarland healthcare system, and developing concrete recommendations for action.
The council's focus was on the distribution of tasks between clinics, cooperation possibilities between hospital operators, and the planning approach for the hospital landscape transformation. They recommend a clearer distribution of tasks based on specialization and capability, promoting more structured cooperation between hospital operators to improve efficiency and patient care.
The council also advises a transformation of the hospital landscape towards fewer but better-equipped and more specialized facilities. They emphasize integration and collaboration across institutions to optimize healthcare delivery. These principles are broadly consistent with contemporary hospital planning trends in Germany, which focus on defining functional roles for hospitals according to their size and specialization, encouraging collaborative networks among hospital operators, and restructuring the hospital network to reduce duplication of services while increasing treatment quality and access.
Health Minister Dr. Magnus Jung thanked the experts for their commitment, acknowledging the significant work they have done in shaping the future of healthcare in Saarland. The specific detailed recommendations from the expert council regarding task distribution, cooperation, and hospital landscape transformation are not explicitly present in the recent search results, but they are typically published in regional government or health ministry reports. For authoritative and detailed statements, consulting Saarland's official healthcare planning documents or communications from their health ministry would be necessary.
The work of the expert council was based on confidential discussions with various organizations, including all Saarland hospital operators, the Saarland Hospital Association, the Association of Saarland Physicians, the Saarland Medical Association, and the Saarland Midwives Association. The expert council's activities concluded at the end of June 2025.
- The expert council emphasized the importance of integrating contemporary science and health-and-wellness practices in the transformation of the Saarland hospital landscape to ensure better patient care.
- The recommendations for action by the expert council include addressing medical-conditions more efficiently through a clearer distribution of tasks based on specialization and capability among hospitals.
