The German Association of Private Hospitals (BDPK) used this year’s national congress on 5 June 2025 to discuss proposals for more efficient hospital care with the federal government’s health policy makers. In particular, non-evidence-based staffing requirements must be abolished. In addition, low-threshold access to rehabilitation must be created in order to avoid unnecessary early retirement.
Dr. Hans-Heinrich Aldag, President of the Federal Association of German Private Hospitals (BDPK), opened this year’s national congress in Berlin with a clear appeal to the new federal government. In front of over 200 representatives from healthcare policy, social insurance providers, professional associations and numerous privately-run clinics, Aldag made it clear right from the start: “We can no longer afford to continue with healthcare policy as it is.”
All participants in the panel discussion agreed that Germany spends a lot of money on healthcare compared to the rest of the EU. “We spend an incredible amount of money and are ahead of the OECD with our expenditure,” said Robert Möller, BDPK board member and CEO of Helios Kliniken GmbH.
In order to use the limited resources in the healthcare system efficiently, expenditure must be consistently compared with the relevant outcome – the quality of results. Möller put it in a nutshell: “It is a scandal that legislation is not concerned at all with the quality of results.”
The demand on the new federal government is therefore clear: instead of rigid guidelines, hospitals need more freedom to design more efficient care through optimized processes and medically sensible structures. The quality of care is ensured by continuously measuring the quality of results.
Read the full report on the BDPK website
