The head of the affiliation warns: “Waiting list medicine will then become a reality” – two out of three hospitals are within the purple | EUROtoday

Two out of three hospitals in Germany posted losses final yr. As the Germany editorial community reviews, citing the “Hospital Barometer” 2025, the proportion of clinics with an annual deficit rose by one other 5 share factors in comparison with 2023. In distinction, in 2024 solely 34 % of the clinics would have generated a surplus or a balanced outcome.

For 2025, the hospitals within the German Hospital Association (DKG) survey predict an additional deterioration: within the yr that’s now coming to an finish, 70 % of the hospitals count on a loss and solely 30 % count on a plus or a balanced outcome.

DKG boss Gerald Gaß spoke of alarming figures. The financial stress on hospitals is limiting their potential to make the mandatory investments in modernization and digitalization. “We are clearly heading towards a situation that will have a dramatic impact on the hospital landscape in Germany,” warned the pinnacle of the affiliation. The penalties would even be noticeable for the sufferers. “Waiting list medicine will then also become a reality in Germany.”

The outcomes of the “Hospital Barometer” 2025 are primarily based on the written survey of a consultant pattern of normal hospitals with 100 beds or extra, which was carried out from mid-May to mid-July 2025. A complete of 376 hospitals took half.

Closures and mergers probably

Recently, the administration consultancy Roland Berger additionally warned concerning the dramatic scenario of Germany’s hospitals. According to the administration consultancy, the probably consequence of the hospital disaster shall be extra mergers and additional closures.

Roland Berger expects main transformations: “In order to get out of the misery, hospitals are reducing the number of their locations, changing their service portfolio and investing in expanding outpatient care.”