Klinik Belair initiates statutory consultation procedure

Owing to changing regulatory framework conditions, in particular tariff reductions and the reclassification of some treatments as outpatient procedures, smaller hospitals such as Klinik Belair with only 28 beds and limited cantonal performance mandates in a small catchment area without a direct connection to a primary care hospital with an emergency department are coming under increasing operational and financial pressure. The imminent departure of several doctors in reaction to these developments will also mean that patient numbers will drop by around half. The decision to initiate the statutory consultation procedure was preceded by an in-depth evaluation of different scenarios that might have made it possible for Klinik Belair AG to continue offering its services to patients in Schaffhausen. As the options and cooperation opportunities investigated to date have not been promising, the Board of Klinik Belair AG has decided to initiate the statutory consultation procedure.

“It hurts me personally very much when I think about the many years of successful operation of this very small but renowned hospital and its committed and competent team,” says Peter Werder, Hospital Manager of Klinik Belair AG. “We’re determined to use the consultation procedure to take another look at alternatives that may help us avoid closing the hospital.” If a shut-down should prove to be unavoidable, the employees will be offered a position with another hospital of the Hirslanden Group whenever possible. However, it seems at present that a shut-down will inevitably also mean some dismissals. “This fact is very painful for all of us – for me personally as well as for my colleagues on the Klinik Belair management team,” says Daniel Liedtke, Chairman of the Board of Klinik Belair AG and CEO of the Hirslanden Private Hospital Group. A social compensation plan for the different groups of employees is currently being drawn up.

This step will not affect the Hirslanden Praxiszentrum am Bahnhof Schaffhausen, which will continue to operate even if Klinik Belair should be shut down. Hirslanden will thus remain present in Canton Schaffhausen and will continue to give patients access to the hospital group's medical network.

Information for media professionals:
A media conference will be held in Klinik Belair's lecture room on Tuesday, 4 June 2019 at 1.00 pm. We thank you for understanding that we will only be able to reply to individual media enquiries after this conference.

Hirslanden Private Hospital Group

As of 31 March 2019, the Hirslanden Private Hospital Group consists of 18 hospitals in 11 cantons, many of which have an integrated outpatient surgery centre and emergency department. The Group also operates 3 outpatient clinics, 2 outpatient surgery units, 17 radiology institutes and 5 radiotherapy institutes. It has 2,303 affiliated doctors and 10,442 permanent employees, 510 of whom are doctors.

Hirslanden is the leading private hospital group and the largest medical network in Switzerland. In the 2018/19 financial year, it generated a turnover of 1,778 million Swiss francs. As of 31 March 2019, the Group had treated over 106,851 inpatients with a total of 479,631 inpatient days. In insurance terms, the patient mix consists of 48.7% with basic, 29.5% with semi-private and 21.8% with private insurance.

Hirslanden Private Hospital Group stands for first class medical quality, made possible with highly qualified, experienced doctors. In medical terms, Hirslanden stands out in the market as a system provider. Interdisciplinary medical competence centres and specialist institutes enable optimal and individual treatment of cases, whatever their level of medical complexity. The private hospital group was formed in 1990 out of the merger of a number of private hospitals, and became part of the international hospital group Mediclinic International plc in 2007, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.